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THE AUTHOR. 





Two Old Letters 


BY 


J. S. THOMAS. 

>> 


/ 


A TRUE HISTORY THAT READS LIKE 
FICTION. 



PARSONS, KANSAS: 

THE FOLEY RAILWAY PRINTING COMPANY. 
1904. 



LIBRARY Of CONGRESS 

Two Copies Received 

MAY 23 1904 

Cooyrleht Entry 

I o 4-1 

CLASS XXo. No. 1 

Q 3 H- t Q I 
COPY 8 * 1 


3 


Copyrighted , 1904, 

by 

J. S. Thomas. 


PREFACE 


The following pages would have never been 
written had it not been for the almost mirac- 
ulous manner in which the facts fell into 
the writer’s hands. 

Twenty-five years ago some of the leading 
points were incorporated in some magazine 
articles, and four years ago ( 1899) the writer 
found the remaining information while in 
New Orleans. 

Most of the persons referred to are living 
yet and will gladly testify to the facts with 
which they were connected. Some have 
passed away. 

The writer claims no credit for what may 
have merit and should not be blamed for the 
weak points in the book. It merely contains 
what the experiences of those mentioned 
furnished. 

New Orleans, La., Feb. 2, 1902. 
Elder J. S. Thomas. 

Dear Sir: — It is true that father and 
mother have gone to their rewards, but 
knowing his aversion to undue notoriety, I 


prefer not to have their real names mentioned 
in your book. Thanking you for your 
mentions of them, I am yours, etc. 

Geo. R. B. 

Corpus Christi, Tex., Feb. 26, 1900. 
Rev. J. S. Thomas, Searcy, Ark. 

Dear Brother: — Your favor of the 16th 
inst. at hand, contents noted. In reply will 
say I have not the least objection to you 
using my name in connection with Jimmie 
Malone’s statement, relative to the gift of 
the Testament over thirty years since. It 
had quite passed out of my mind. I am over 
rejoiced, to learn that good for the Master 
and a poor sailor boy, grew out of it. “Cast 
thy bread upon the waters.” It has already 
been returned ten fold by the news your 
letter brings me. The Schooner’s name was 
Martha M. Heath. I was much pleased to 
hear from you. My wife sends regards, and 
rest assured that you will always have my 
best wishes and prayers for you and the 
cause in which you are engaged. Hoping 
this will find you in as good health as it 
leaves me, I remain, fraternally yours. 

C. C. Heath. 


INDEX. 


CHAPTER I. 

School Days Ended 9 

CHAPTER II. 

The Parting 13 

CHAPTER III. 

Frank Gholston, A Prisoner of War 19 

CHAPTER IY. 

In a New Home 27 

CHAPTER V. 

George Carter Nursed by Jimmie 35 

CHAPTER VI. 

George Questions the “Parson” 43 

CHAPTER VII. 

Jimmie is Nursed by Hattie 51 

CHAPTER VIII. 

Jimmie’s Death 67 

CHAPTER IX. 

George Wakes Up— Comes to Himself 81 

CHAPTER X. 

Hattie Investigates 89 

CHAPTER XI. 

Hattie Continues her Investigation. 99 

CHAPTER XII. 

George Starts Home 117 

CHAPTER XIII. 

George Arrives at Home 129 

CHAPTER XIV. 

The Pastor Calls 137 


CHAPTER XV. 

THE TWO OLD LETTERS 151 

CHAPTER XVI. 

George Goes South 163 

CHAPTER XVII. 

Hattie Finds the Letters 173 

CHAPTER XVIII. 

Doctrinal Q uestions 183 

CHAPTER XIX. 

Frank and George Meet 199 

CHAPTER XX. 

George Goes to Church 211 

CHAPTER XXI. 

George Hears of Jimmie’s Death 227 

CHAPTER XXII. 

The Wedding 241 

CHAPTER XXIII. 

They Join the Church 249 

CHAPTER XXIV. 

Finale 273 

ILLUSTRATIONS, 

THREE OTHER GRADUATES 16 

UNCLE JIMMIE 32 >/ 

LAST NIGHT AT THE OLD HOME 48 

REV. R. G. SEYMOUR, D. D 64 

TITLE PAGE WESLEY’S TESTAMENT 96 


THIRD CHAPTER OF MATTHEW FROM 

WESLEY’S TESTAMENT 112 


CHAPTER I. 


June 10, 1861, found Hattie Gholston and 
George Carter in college together for the 
last time. 

On that day they graduated, finishing four 
years of incessant toil with a feeling of 
pleasure, known only to those who have 
listened to that personal little speech that 
ahvays accompanies the presentation of a 
diploma to one who has commanded the re- 
spect of all connected with the institution. 

The old adage, “Every rose has its thorn,” 
proved more than true in this instance, for 
they dreaded the parting moment which soon 
followed. They entered college together, 
studied in the same class and graduated at 


10 


TWO OLD LETTERS. 


the same time, but the secret of their pain 
at parting grew out of the fact that their 
minds were made up on the subject of 
matrimony. 

George lived in Pennsylvania and Hattie 
in Mississippi and to those places they must 
soon return. When they thought of the 
great distance that would soon spread itself 
between them, and the many contingencies 
upon which their future meeting depended 
they were loth to separate; for they were 
one in heart and mind. That mystic tie, so 
powerful through all ages since Adam first 
uttered the word “woman,” had bound their 
souls together, like two sparkling dewdrops 
blended in one by a touch of the waving 
grass as it bows to the breath of the morning. 

When the audience was dismissed Hattie 
and George sat motionless and speechless, as 
in a dream until a fellow student tapped 
George on the shoulder saying: “George, old 
boy. wake up! What’s the matter with you?” 
The diploma which had been the direct 
object of four years of toil, had fallen from 
Hattie’s hands to the floor and when she 

awoke from her reverie she saw Prof. W 

standing on the blue ribbon and seemingly 
grinding it into the floor on purpose. She 
waited in silence till the Professor moved his 
foot and then quietly picked it up without 
attracting the attention of any one, but say- 


TWO OLD LETTERS. 


11 


ing to herself as she brushed away the dirt: 
<k I wonder if it will always be that we lose 
interest in things as soon as we come into 
possession of them?” An old man standing 
by overheard the words which were intended 
only for her own heart and said: ‘‘No child, 
you have it wrong. You have lost no inter- 
est in the diploma. It is only a case where the 
larger concerns of life overshadow the smaller 
ones. Your preparation for life to which this 
diploma bears witness is of paramount import, 
but you have now reached the point where 
you can begin to realize that life itself is in- 
finitely more important. ” Hattie, alarmed 
that she should have spoken so as to be 
heard, turned and listened attentively and 
then replied: “It must be so; for when I 
entered college I thought of nothing but this 
paper [brushing the dirt from it,] but today 
it seems to be a thing of the past, and as I 
look out into the fathomless depths of the 
great dark future I find myself staggering 
under the weight of responsibility this very 
document places on me.” “I’m glad, child, 
you see more in an education than merely 
getting a diploma.” 


12 


TWO OLD LETTERS. 


Who is on the Lord’s side, 
Always true? 

There’s a right and wrong side, 
Where stand you? 

Thousands on the wrong side 
Choose to stand, 

Still ’t is not the strong side, 
True and grand. 

Come and join the Lord’s side: 

Ask you why?— 

'Tis the only safe side 
By and by. 


CHAPTER II. 


The exercises of the day over and all 
college work done with, George and Hattie 
agreed to attend church in the evening and 

hear Dr. deliver his wonderful lecture 

on “Society.” They separated and walked 
to their respective places with that aimless 
sort of step that betokens a feeling that 
eludes definition. I shall not attempt to de- 
scribe that feeling. Those who have ex- 
perienced it need no description, and those 
who have not can never faintly form any 
idea of the height and depth of that boister- 
ous emotion that possesses the soul on 
occasions like this. Neither of them knew 
how the hours of the afternoon wore away; 


14 


TWO OLD LETTERS. 


for they could foresee that the separation, 
which must come in a short time might part 
them forever owing to the war cloud that 
was then darkening the political horizon and 
the muttering thunder of civil strife between 
the states on the subject of slavery. 

Late in the afternoon, Hattie, refreshed by 
rest and recreation, began to make prepara- 
tions for the lecture, for she expected Geo rge 
at an early hour in the evening and she 
meant to be ready so she could get off to the 
lecture without that confusion that one ex- 
periences when compelled to arrange the 
toilet in haste, and that puts a lady at such 
fearful disadvantage in the social circle just 
at the time when she most needs to be self- 
possessed. Dressed and seated at the parlor 
window, she gave away to meditation. She 
was not thinking of the diploma which Rev . 

Mr. had presented to her accompanied 

by a flattering little speech in the presence 
of a delighted audience. Her mind was 
otherwise occupied. Every feeling of her 
agitated soul was delineated in her lovely 
face. The intensity of her love, which she 
did not like to acknowledge to herself, made 
itself known in her blushing countenance as 
she grew crimson at her own thoughts and 
feelings. 

In due time George put in his appearance, 
and as he passed the window her blue eyes 


TWO OLD LETTERS. 


15 


(as she raised them from a book) and golden 
hair and glowing countenance set ablaze his 
very soul with indescribable emotion to which 
he had been a stranger to that moment. The 
fresh spring flowers which the hand of nature 
had silently hung in luxuriant abundance 
about the window seemed to be emulating 
her beauty and George was compelled to stop 
and compose himself before entering the 
room. The thought that Ailed Hattie’s mind 
and the love that filled her heart could only 
find expression in those tender sentiments 
disclosed at the parting of Romeo and Juliet. 
And the doubt, as to future meeting that be- 
clouded poor Juliet’s mind hung itself in 
thick folds over the pathway of the fair 
graduate from Mississippi. Up to that 
meeting Hattie had felt an ease of manner 
and freedom of speech, growing out of the 
fact that she was a “school girl,” which 
seemed to desert her completely now that 
she was an educated lady supposed to speak 
and act wholly on her own responsibility. 
George felt the same way and they were 
strangely awkward in each others society. But 
in a few moments they were walking slowly 
towards the church talking over their college 
experiences, each trying to recover the ease 
of manner and speech that belonged to those 
happy days, but each thinking more of the 
uncertain future which must determine all 


16 


TWO OLD LETTERS. 


their plans. With them the lecture, though 
a masterly effort, ‘ ‘cut very little figure, ” as 
George put it, and need not be mentioned 
here. Miss Hattie was to start home on the 
2 a. m. train and of course, felt a thousand 
interests crowding into the few hours that 
intervened. And to further disconcert her, 
the president of the institution suggested the 
following lines to be sung at the close of the 
service. 

“When shall'we all meet again? 

When shall we all meet again? 

Oft shall glowing hope expire, 

Oft shall wearied love retire, 

Oft shall death and sorrow reign 
E’er we all shall meet again. 

Though in distant lands we sigh, 

Parched beneath a hostile sky; 

Though the deep between us rolls, 

Friendship shall unite our souls, 

Still in fancy’s rich domain 
Oft shall we all meet again. 

When the dreams of life are fled, 

When its wasted lamps are dead; 

When in cold oblivion’s shade, 

Beauty, power and fame are laid, 

Where immortal spirits reign, 

There shall we all meet again.” 

They sang these lines to an old tune 
written in the minor scale throughout; as if 
to blend on purpose, the sentiment and tones 



THREE OTHER GRADUATES. 



TWO OLD LETTERS. 


17 


with two hearts already tuned to the minor 
chords by the unseen hand of sorrow. They 
returned home almost in silence for the 
dreaded moment of separation was just before 
them, and as they approached it the gloom of 
the grave seemed to gather around them. 
They lingered a while on the portico before 
the last “goodbye.” All nature seemed to 
sympathize with the sad character of this 
separation — one to the far South and the 
other to the North and a future meeting was 
dreadfully uncertain. 

The full moon had risen high in the 
heavens, pouring down her soft light making 
visible the sparkling dew drops which hung 
on the leaves and flowers as if the angels had 
been weeping over the sad experiences they 
were undergoing. The unseen fingers of the 
wind gently touched every movable thing 
into motion, shaking the dew from the rose, 
snowball, and old fashioned lilacs, waving 
more vigorously the tall poplars which stood 
in the lane, while the stronger blast roared 
among the pine trees of the forest. 

Since that last song every sound seamed 
uttered in minors. The frogs croaked in 
minors, the insects trilled and the nighthawk 
gave his lonesome screech in minors, while 
the wind among the pine tops gave back a 
wail of sadness that would make the “heart 

of terror quake. ” Solemn moment! Words 

(2) 


18 


TWO OLD LETTERS. 


were useless. George took the gold medal 
which he had received for the best oration 
and pinned it on Hattie’s scarf, reminded her 
of the day appointed for their next meeting 
and took his leave without further ceremony. 
She spent the remaining three hours ( till 2 
a. m. ) arranging for the long journey to 
Mississippi. 


Thou art the Way; to thee alone. 
From sin and death we flee; 

And he who would the Father seek, 
Must seek him, Lord, by thee. 

Thou art the Truth; thy word alone. 
True wisdom can impart; 

Thou only canst inform the mind, 

And purify the heart. 

Thou art the Life; the rending tomb 
Proclaims thy conquering arm; 

And those who put their trust in thee, 
Nor death nor hell shall harm. 

Thou art the Way, the Truth, the Life; 
Grant us that way to know, 

That truth to keep, that life to win, 
Whose joys eternal flow. 


CHAPTER III. 


George and Hattie returned to their respec- 
tive homes, Pennsylvania and Mississippi, 
and as time moved on, constantly unrolling 
the great parchment of human events, they 
began to read^ from its bloody surface the 
current happenings of the civil war of 1861 
— 1865, in which American manhood, valor 
and honor exhibited themselves on both sides 
in such a way as to lead the nation into loud 
expressions of enthusiastic pride over its 
citizenship, while the powers of earth looked 
on in utter astonishment. The effect this 
great political commotion would have on 
their engagement and plans for the future, 
was a question not easily solved; and with 


20 


TWO OLD LETTERS. 


their best efforts to imagine the result, they 
could only see a black cloud settling down on 
their lives shutting out all hope. Hattie did 
not accept for a moment the friendly (? ) ad- 
monition of Caroline Norton, but for the life 
of her could not keep from repeating her 
words: 

“Love not, lo?e not ye helpless sons of clay! 

Hope’s gayest wreaths are made of earthly flowers; 
Things that are made to fade and fall away 
Ere they have blossomed for a few short hours. 

Love not! 

They continued their correspondence until 
the unsettled condition of the country cut 
off all possible means of communication. 
Hattie’s last letter gave evidence of a tremb- 
ling hand and a heavy heart: 

Madison, Aug. 20, 1862. 

Dear George: — I am here on a visit to friends 
but my pleasure is wholly destroyed, yea 
my very soul is filled with grief, as I see the 
active preparations for what now seems 
must be a bloody war. Drums are beating 
and recruiting officers are making flaming 
speeches to secure men for the army. I 
presume the same is going on in your state 
and I see you, dear George, with my mind’s 
eye standing in the ranks of your country’s 
army where your natural disposition and 


TWO OLD LETTERS. 


21 


geographical position place you. My 
younger brother volunteered just before I 
left home and, oh horrors! I reached here 
in time to see my older one kiss his wife 
and children good bye, and walk off, it 
seems to me “as a sheep to the slaughter.” 
When the clouds are gone may we meet. 
Till then or till death, I am, yours, 

Hattie. 

The war opened with a furious onslaught 
known only to the valor of the Caucasian 
race. Think of thirteen thousand men fall- 
ing, dead or wounded, in less than one hour 
and you will get a faint conception of that 
war. In the battle of Stone River, Hattie’s 
younger brother, while making a gallant 
charge, was severely wounded and taken by 
the enemy. He was placed in care of Cap- 
tain Carter’s company for safe keeping, and 
being an officer soon attracted the attention 
of the captain so that in a few moments 
Captain George Carter, Hattie’s lover, was 
face to face with Prank Gholston, her 
brother, but of course unknown to each 
other. George ’s eye had scarcely fallen on 
the prisoner when he beheld with great sur- 
prise and indignation the medal he pinned on 
Hattie’s scarf the night they separated, now 
on the bosom of his captive. He was 
ordinarily cool aud deliberate in all things, 


22 


TWO OLD LETTERS. 


but now thoroughly enraged only one 
thought possessed him. He thought Hattie 
had proved unfaithful and had given the 
medal he prized so highly to the confeder- 
ate officer who now stood before him a 
prisoner. His brain was in a mad whirl and 
for the moment he forgot all about his 
obligation to a prisoner and rushed forward 
to take the medal from his bosom and strike 
him down with his sword. He bethought 
himself however, and said to himself, “The 
medal is mine and I’ll take it, but I’ll never 
be guilty of striking one who is in my power 
— no never. ” So saying, [he took the medal, 
and Frank thinking he did it for its value, 
drew a costly watch from his pocket saying : 
“Please, sir, take that and leave me the medal 
for my dear sister's sake, to whom it properly 
belongs.”- 

Captain Carter understood in a moment 
that there was a satisfactory explanation in 
it and asked with an air of indifference: 
“What has your sister to do with that 
medal?” “Simply this: She had a gold 
medal which she intended to give me the day 
I left home, but in the midst of her tears she 
made a mistake and pinned this one on my 
bosom. She has written many times about it 
and I promised to return it the first opportu- 
nity. It is a present from or rather belongs 
to a very dear friend of hers, and if you will 


TWO OLD LETTERS. 


23 


let me keep it and return it to her I will give 
you my gold watch.” By this time George 
was almost literally paralyzed, and stood 
motionless while Frank took the medal from 
his hand and was pushing the watch into his 
possession in place of it. Upon recovering 
a little he said to Frank, “Oh! I don’t want 
your watch and could not think for one 
moment of taking it. I was simply laboring 
under a little mistake about that medal, 
that’s all. At this moment his imagination 
took memories wing and swept back to that 
solemn hour when Hattie and he had so re- 
luctantly parted. His heart rose convul- 
sively into his throat, his eyes filled with 
tears as a fresh image of the sparkling dew 
drops hanging upon the leaves and bathing 
the lovely flowers, recurred to his mind. He 
seemed for a moment to feel the gentle 
breeze on his brow that waved the slender 
branches of the tall poplars on that sad yet 
beautiful night, and to hear the roaring blast 
in the pine forest that filled his soul on that 
memorable occasion with a sadness and 
loneliness more dreaded than the battle now 
raging around him. He felt so much of the 
real spirit of that last hour on the portico 
gathering within him that he was compelled 
to go aside to master his emotions. Return- 
ing to the prisoner, he found him prostrate 
on the ground from the loss of blood and 


24 


TWO OLD LETTERS. 


begging for water with an earnestness 
known only to those who have heard the 
pleading of a dying man on a battle field. 
Words will never describe it. George’s 
great heart was moved and he wept like a 
child, for he knew that a picture of that 
occasion would break the heart of the girl 
he loved. He raised Frank from the cold 
ground, beckoned a soldier to give him water 
from his canteen, and when he was placed 
on a stetcher to be carried to the hospital 
he put twenty dollars in “green-back” in his 
hand to take the place of the useless con- 
federate money in his packet. As two 
strong men took hold of the stretcher to 
carry the confederate captain away, he 
turned his pale face to George and said: 
“Your conduct has been so strange, it 
makes me anxious to know your name.” 
Frank resembled his sister, Hattie very 
much at all times and now that he was pale 
from loss of blood and subdued by pain, he 
was the very picture of her, and when 
George looked him full in the face, in re- 
sponse to this request, he became choked by 
his emotion and turned away without a 
word leaving Frank more puzzled than ever 
about who his new friend could be. 

It is strange how a man may be alternately 
a baby, so to speak, and a lion in the same 
breath; for George had hardly wiped the 


TWO OLD LETTERS 


25 


sympathetic tears from his eyes before 
leading his company in a bloody charge 
known among the old soldiers who were 
there as the “peach-orchard charge,” and he 
did it like a man who had no tears or fears. 


With joy we meditate the grace 
Of our High Priest above; 

His heart is made of tenderness, 

His bosom glows with love. 

Touched with a sympathy within, 

He knows our feeble frame; 

He knows what sore temptations mean 
For he hath felt the same. 

He, in the days of feeble flesh, 

Poured out his cries and tears; 

And in full measure feels afresh 
What every member bears. 

Then let our humble faith address 
His mercy and his power; 

We shall obtain delivering grace 
In the distressing hour. 


—Isaac Watts. 


26 


TWO OLD LETTERS. 


The Bible. 

Study it carefully, 

Think of it prayerfully, 

Deep in thy heart let its pure precepts dwell. 
Slight not its history, 

Ponder its mystery, 

None can e’er prize it too fondly or well. 

Accept the glad tidings, 

The warnings and chidings, 
Found in this volume of heavenly lore; 

With faith that’s unfailing 
And love all-prevailing, 

Trust in its promise of life evermore. 

With fervent devotion 
And thankful emotion, 

Hear the blest welcome, respond to its call; 
Life’s purest oblation, 

The heart’s adoration, 

Give to the Saviour, who died for us all. 

May this message of love 
From the Tribune above, 

To all nations and kindreds be given. 

Till the ransomed shall raise 
Joyous anthems of praise— 
Hallelujah! on earth and in heaven. 


—Selected. 


CHAPTER IV. 


Capt. Frank Gholston lingered in the 
hospital three months before he recovered 
sufficiently to get out of his ward and during 
all that time his mother and sister had not 
heard from him and began to think he was 
dead and mourn for him as such. After a 
little more than three months the long-pray- 
ed -for letter came, and the hand writing on 
the envelope sent a thrill of joy to the hearts 
at home even before the contents of the little 
note were known. It was a short missive but 
through its well chosen words the groans of 
the dying sounded in Hattie’s ears and a 
picture of the dead appeared before the eye 
of her mind; but imagine if you can, her 
surprise when she read the following: 


28 


TWO OLD LETTERS. 


“While the battle was raging beyond all 
description I received a wound in my side 
and fell into the hands of the enemy (perhaps 
I should say into the hands of a friend) but 
I found one who was more than a friend and 
I never have been able to explain his con- 
duct. When I was first captured the person 
of whom I speak approached me. He was 
an officer, a captain, for they called him 
Captain George. He gazed at me for 
a moment with a look I shall never forget. 
He did not look to be a bad man, for in the 
midst of a roaring battle all around he was 
calm as a May morning; but all at once he 
became enraged and snatched the medal from 
my bosom that you had placed there by mis- 
take. I instinctivly felt for my revolver and 
would have murdered him for the insult but 
then I remembered that I was a prisoner, 
wounded and disarmed. To save the medal 
for your sake I bit my lips and assumed the 
attitude of a beggar, and pleaded for it in 
your name, at which the fellow really burst 
into tears left the medal in my possession 
and walked away. He returned to me in a 
short time ministered to my immediate wants 
and put twenty dollars (greenback) into my 
hand and went away without a word of ex- 
planation. He was a manly fellow. His tall 
form, black eyes, dark hair and pleasant 
voice form a pleasant picture in memory’s 


TWO OLD LETTERS. 


29 


art gallery and I often find myself gazing 
upon it while the ear of imagination is listen- 
ing to the roar of that awful battle in which 
I fell— Stone River — and saw so many brave 
sons of the South go down to death. 

Hattie understood the entire situation Jong 
before she had finished reading and it was 
too much for the soul of any mortal. Under 
the conflicting emotions incident to such a 
piece of real romance, or, rather facts 
stranger than fiction, she gave away and had 
no control of her feelings for several days so 
that her parents became alarmed for her 
safety. She could be heard repeating: 

“What must I do with all the days and hours 
That must be counted ere I see thy face? 

How shall I charm the interval that lowers 
Between this time and that sweet day of grace”? 

The great national tragedy moved on; the 
footprints of devastation were seen within 
the borders of Mississippi, and it seemed as 
if the god of night had heaped mountains of 
darkness on every Southern home, while the 
hand of ruin spread the mantle of poverty 
over the entire citizenship. Hattie saw her 
parents (thousands did the same) go to their 
table and eat an entire meal from a dish of 
stock peas cooked without salt or other 
seasoning. Their tears often mingled with 
the food as they ate in silence and sometimes 


30 


TWO OLD LETTERS. 


they had no food and went to their rooms 
hungry to bath their pillows with tears in 
silent grief. Two more years (it seemed twen- 
ty) of the war passed without a word from 
George and very few letters from her 
brothers, hence she despaired almost of con- 
summating her engagement with the man 
whom she loved and yet she held herself 
faithfully to that contract in spite of the dark 
future and many promising opportunities to 
do otherwise. She nursed a young officer 
(wounded at Shiloh) through months of weary 
waiting in their own home and when he 
recovered he began in earnest to urge his 
suit for her hand in matrimony. She admired 
his bravery; and weary watching and tender 
care for him had created some sort of feeling 
not easily defined but she would not be 
shaken from her obligation either in thought 
or feeling for one moment. “My part,” she 
said, “of such a sacred obligation must be 
fulfilled,” as she gave her reasons firmly for 
declining his hand and heart, for both were 
offered. 

At the close of the war, wreck was on every 
thing. Frank Gholston came home broken 
in purse and health, and the family 
moved to Florida after disposing of the 
fragment of a ruined fortune. The “old 
squire,” as his neighbors called him, pur- 
chased a small farm near ville and Hat- 


TWO OLD LETTERS. 


31 


tie accepted a position in the school at that 
place to aid her father in recovering their 
fortune while Frank hired a crew of negroes 
and made big money out of a levee contract. 
Things were coming rapidly “to the right,” 
as Frank said, except with poor Hattie and 
no one read the true situationin her pale, sad 
face. The war had ended but the struggle 
was not over in her heart. She wrote two 
letters, after waiting a long time to hear 
from George, and neither of them was re- 
turned nor secured a reply. Not being 
returned indicated that he had received them 
while no reply argued that he had given up 
the whole thing and she settled down to a 
life of sorrow and disappointment. An old 
negro woman was the only person on earth 
who understood the situation, and Hattie 
thinks to this day she would have gone mad 
but for the prayers and words of encourage- 
ment given by that old “auntie.” 

Hattie did not believe in such foolishness, 
but, to while away time, she would turn a 
coffee cup over and then carry it to old aunt 
’Cinda who, by looking at the stains on the 
inside, would tell all about her lover. Aunt 
’Cinda told much at different times but 
always ended up by saying: “Chile, God’s 
gwine to bring dis here matter out all right. 
I sees dat in every cup.” ’Cinda said this 
with such confidence, that, in spite of herself, 


32 


TWO OLD LETTERS. 


Hattie got some sort of pleasure out of it and 
often said to herself: “After all it may be 
so. ” One day Hattie said: 

“Aunt ’Cinda, what do you see in that cup 
that makes you say I’ll see George and all 
will be right?” “It’s not what I sees chile 
dat makes me say it. It’s what I feels. 
You knows dat night me and you prayed ’fore 
we left de old home in Mississippi when you 
felt so bad.” 

“Yes; I never shall forget it. ” 

“Well I’s felt since dat it would end out 
all right, now Miss, you just watch what 
’Cinda tells you. It's all right.” 

Hattie walked away thinking upon that 
season of prayer and the experiences that 
led up to it. It all came up to her mind. It 
was the last night before they left the old 
home in Mississippi. Moving to another 
state diminished her almost last chance to 
get in correspondence with or see George, if 
any remained, and broke every social tie that 
could in anywise compensate for the sacrifices 
she had already made and the disappoint- 
ments she had endured, so that she was 
driven almost to insanity. Old Aunt ’Cinda 
had taken her in her arms and prayed for 
her, and she remembered yet how much 
better she felt. She caught herself saying: 
“It will come out all right ’Cinda says — 
feels. ” And thus she faced the dark future 






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TWO OLD LETTERS. 


33 


without knowing how it would, or seeing how 
it could, come out all righ t. 

“Coming events cast their shadows be- 
fore,” to ’Cinda’s eye but to Hattie all was 
darkness and gloom and her heart was 
heavy. 


How sad our state by nature is! 

Our sin— how deep it stains! 

And Satan holds our captive minds 
Fast in his slavish chains. 

But there’s a voice of sovereign grace, 
Sounds from the sacred word ; 

“Ho! ye despairing sinners, come! 

And trust a pardoning Lord.” 

My soul obeys the almighty call, 

And runs to this relief; 

I would believe thy promise, Lord ; 

O, help my unbelief! 

A guilty, weak, and helpless worm, 

In thy kind arms I fall; 

Be thou my Strength and Righteousness, 

My Saviour and my All. 

—Isaac Watts. 


( 3 ) 


34 


TWO OLD LETTERS. 


O Thou whom we adore! 

To bless our earth again, 

Assume thine own almighty power, 

And o’er the nations reign. 

The world’s desire and hope, 

All power to thee is given ; 

Now set the last great empire up, 

Eternal Lord of heaven! 

A gracious Saviour, thou 
Wilt all thy children bless; 

And every knee to thee shall bow, 

And every tongue confess. 

According to thy word 
Now be thy grace revealed, 

And with the knowledge of the Lord 
Let all the earth be filled. 

— Charles Wesley. 


CHAPTER V. 


At the close of the Civil War Captain 
George Carter was on duty in one of the 
cities on the southern coast— New Orleans. 
Lieutenant Ross, Major Saffin and he were 
all seated around a table in George’s tent 
talking over the incidents of the late strug- 
gle and discussing their own plans for the 
future, when George remarked: 

“Major, suppose we have an oyster treat. 
We may not have many more.” “All right, ” 
said the Major, “I’m always ready to 
eat up something you know.” A servant 
was sent for the oysters, crackers, etc., and 
the repast was soon ready which was 
relished in old army style while the three 


36 


TWO OLD LETTERS. 


officers had much to say about what they 
should follow for a livelihood when let out 
of their “military job’’ as they called it. 

They had used the newspaper in which the 
crackers were wrapped for a table cloth and 
as they were finishing up “the feast,” George 
observed in large letters the word married 
standing at the head of a little notice in the 
paper which had served so well as a table- 
cloth and remarked: 

“By jove! I’d like to know who’s fool 
enough to get married these times?” 

“Why Captain, who’s married?” 

“I do not know. I just saw something of 
the kind on our clean tablecloth,” (referring 
to the newspaper.) 

The Major then leaned over and read the 
notice remarking as he finished: 

“The lady certainly is no fool though she 
may have acted foolishly in this. She is a 
graduate of College.” 

“Is that so? Possibly I know her. I 
graduated from that institution myself. 
What is her name?” 

The Major glancing back over the paper 
said: 

“Let’s see, where was it? Oh! yes! 
Hattie Gholston was her name and the paper 
says she was cultivated and beautiful. Some 
poor fellow is in luck and ours will come 
some day, ” said the Major. 


TWO OLD LETTERS. 


37 


To attempt any description of George’s 
looks, and especially his feelings, would be 
worse than foolishness. The reader, there- 
fore, is left to his own imagination to sup- 
ply the deficiency in the narrative. If it had 
not been for the hope that it was a mistake 
somehow, he would have committed suicide 
right in his tent before the eyes of his com- 
panions. He put his hand on his revolver 
several times with that purpose in mind, 
while each time his faith in Hattie’s promise 
would struggle up to the throne of reason 
and re-establish the dominion of that ruling 
attribute. He had great sympathy for the 
suicide from that moment as the reader will 
see further on in this volume. He rudely 
tore away from his friends and hunted the 
city of New Orleans till he found a catalogue 
of the institution where she and he gradu- 
ated in hope that more than one Hattie 
Gholston had been educated at that place, 
but alas! the remainiug fragments of his 
shattered hopes were dashed into the 
depths of unrelenting sorrow; and when left 
to drink from the bitter cup of grief alone he 
made that fatal resolve that has plunged 
untold thousands into irreparable ruin and 
disgrace. He felt like his father, mother 
and friends could read from his face the 
entire history of his disappointment. He 
concluded not to return home till he had 


38 


TWO OLD LETTERS, 


mastered his sorrows though he expected a 
discharge soon, and in order to do this 
speedily, he decided to baptize them in the 
wine cup. His first attempt at this should 
have deterred him from further progress in 
that direction, but when a soul is wild with 
grief, and the waves of feeling are breaking 
over the throne of reason, it fails to catch 
the lessons so forcibly taught by natures 
great instructor — experience. He was al- 
ready a maniac temporarily. His eyes 
glowed with a feverish redness that seemed 
to implore a fountain of tears to lave their 
burning lids, but the fire of torment kindled 
in the soul had dried that fountain seemingly 
forever. A drink of beer made him worse. 
Two drinks of brandy scorched his brain into 
a fever and he was carried to a boarding 
house on Magazine street, sick, drunk or 
crazy, no one could tell which, and a doctor 
called who could not decide the question till 
the next day, and then gave very little hope 
of his recovery, saying he had partial 
paralysis of the brain. When he left his 
tent the previous day he had on a common 
private’s blouse which he wore inside of his 
tent for comfort and had no indication of 
rank on or about him, hence when he was 
carried to the boarding house no information 
went out at all. The only question asked 
was: “Has he enough money to pay him 


TWO OLD LETTERS. 


39 


over this little pay day spree?” He had, 
and that was an end to all questions. 

Late in the evening of the second day the 
Doctor said he must die. . His temperature 
had fallen far below normal, his pulse was 
alarmingly fast and his respiration heavy 
and unnatural. He was growing colder 
every moment. There was an old Trish 
sailor doing chores around the house for his 
food and old clothes, and another Irishman 
was boarding there who had been a con- 
federate soldier but discharged for the loss 
of his left hand and w T as now foreman of a 
gang of men who were employed on the city 
sewerage — Pat Milligan. He and the old 
sailor, Jimmie Malone, came to America to- 
gether and were confidential friends. 

At noon of the third day, Pat went in and 
gazed for a moment on the unconscious form 
of Captain Carter, and said to the old sailor 
who was passing a peach tree bush back and 
forth over the sick man to keep off the 
mosquitoes: 

“Jimmie, I was a confederate and lost this, ” 
pointing to his missing hand, “but I lay you 
he was a brave man, and I hat© to see him 
die now that he is almost ready to go home 
if he has one.” 

“I do myself, Pat, and it’s pity that keeps 
me watching with him.” 


40 


TWO OLD LETTERS. 


“Jimmie and do you remember Mike 
Flenoy?” 

“Do I remember Mike? Just ask when I 
made him. But what was you going to say?” 

“You know Jimmie that Mike shipped 
with us on that little sloop, The Sea Shell, 
and got sick. ’ ’ 

“Yes, I remember.” 

“Well Mike got as cold as a fish, and we 
boiled the ears of corn we had aboard and 
put them in his bunk till it seemed enough 
to melt the North pole but it saved Mike. ” 

“Now Jimmie, if some one would warm 
this man with hot bricks, and put towels out 
of hot water to his head it will save him in 
spite of what the doctor says.” 

Jimmie accepted the suggestion and soon 
had the bed full of hot bricks and a vessel of 
hot water from which he would wring a 
towel and place on George’s head every few 
minutes all that afternoon and night and all 
the next day and night without any rest or 
sleep, at which time the patient was con- 
scious of his surroundings. When com- 
mended for his endurance, Jimmie replied 
with justifiable pride: 

“I stood watch on the ship once three days 
and three nights for that many dollars and I 
am sure the young man’s life is worth more.” 

Improvement could barely be noticed till 
the fifth day when they ventured to q uestion 


TWO OLD LETTERS. 


41 


George, but he yet thought strongly of 
killing himself and would not give any in- 
formation about his home and friends, or 
knowledge of his local habitation. Jimmie 
wanted to send for the priest but compro- 
mised and sent for a young Baptist preacher 
by the name of Seymour, who preached 
occasionally in an unfinished church house 
near that portion of the city of New Orleans. 
When he came and found George in no con- 
dition to be prayed with or talked to he left 
a small testament, and two little tracts in it 
for him and went away promising to call 
again. This little testament and these two 
tracts saved and shaped the life of that man. 

When George was able to get up he did 
the “handsome thing” for Jimmie in the way 
of compensation, made Pat some nice 
presents for the part he had taken in nursing 
him and returned to headquarters and gave 
Major Saffin the first information of his 
illness. 

He had given Jimmie his watch while he 
thought he would die and would not take it 
again because he had made up his mind to 
commit suicide, and would have done so but 
for the providences of God. 


42 


TWO OLD LETTERS. 


The coming King is at the door, 

Who once the cross for sinners bore, 
But now the righteous ones alone 
He comes to gather home. 

The signs that show his coming near 
Are fast fulfilling year by year, 

And soon we’ll hail the glorious dawn 
Of heaven’s eternal morn. 

Look not on earth for strife to cease, 
Look not below for joy and peace, 

Until the Saviour comes again 
To banish death and sin. 

Then in the glorious earth made new 
We’ll dwell the countless ages through; 
This mortal shall immortal be, 

And time, eternity. 


CHAPTER VI. 


In a short time George was discharged but 
not to return home to parents and friends. 
He often said that Jimmie, the old sailor, 
had done him a great injustice to nurse him 
back to consciousness and life to suffer a 
thousand deaths, when if let alone he never 
would have suffered one, for he had passed 
suffering. 

One day he resolved to put an end to all 
his troubles and accordingly went to the 
river but just before leaping from a steam- 
boat standing at the wharf the captain en- 
gaged him in conversation and finally em- 
ployed him as clerk and he was on a trip to 
Cincinnati, Ohio, almost before he knew 


44 


TWO OLD LETTERS. 


what he was doing. On this trip he had 
ample opportunity to read the New Testa- 
ment and the two tracts given to him by 
the young Baptist preacher, Seymour, but 
for which he would have taken his life 
several times. 

George had joined the Methodist church 
as a probationer and had gone through his 
college course and the civil war without ever 
feeling the necessity of personal faith in a 
personal savior; and now that an unparal- 
leled emergency was upon him, he could not 
claim the promise of a “Father in Heaven” 
nor rest his weary head on the stony pillow 
of God’s truth while waiting for the angels 
of light and hope to descend the ladder 
whose shining sides rested against the very 
threshold of Heaven in Jacob’s memorable 
vision at Bethel. He often deplored his 
partial membership in the church as he 
called it, as a great mistake that satisfied 
him and his friends for the time and caused 
them to neglect personal faith, and grow into 
a sort of formal church life like those 
mentioned Matthew 7: 21, 22, 23. 

21 If Not every one that saith unto 
me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the 
kingdom of Heaven; but he that do- 
eth the will of my Father which is in 
Heaven. 

22 Many will say to me in that day, 


TWO OLD LETTERS. 


45 


Lord, Lotd, have we not prophesied 
in thy name? and in thy name have 
cast out devils? and in thy name 
done many wonderful works? 

23 And then will I profess unto 
them, I never knew you: depart 
from me, ye that work iniquity. 

One day a clerical looking gentleman 
came aboard and asked for a half fare from 
Cairo to Memphis. George, being young in 
the steamboat business, referred the matter 
to the captain who said: 

“Certainly, not only a half, but give him 
passage and board free to Memphis. ” 

As George turned to walk back to the 
office the old captain hailed him as steam- 
boat men call it. 

“Oh, say! What kind of a preacher is that 
you’r getting aboard?” 

“I do not know, but I’ll gamble on his 
being a Methodist.” 

“Well, you know the saying. ” 

“No, I do not, what is it?” 

“A Methodist preacher or a gray horse is 
a sure sign of accident to a steamboat.” 

Returning to the office, he found, sure 
enough, that the gentleman in question was 
a Methodist clergyman, but knowing the 
superstition of steamboat men in general 
and “the old man” (as they called him) in 
particular, he did not report his information 


46 


TWO OLD LETTERS. 


back to the captain, but resolved to make 
something out of his discovery along the 
line of his new investigations of church 
matters, therefore, approached the subject 
by asking: 

“What is baptism for, parson?” 

“All people do not baptize for the 
same purpose,” said the preacher. “For 
instance, the Catholics baptize for the pur- 
pose of saving the individual’s soul and a few 
other denominations do the same. The 
Baptist baptize the candidate because he or 
she is already saved” 

“How about you Methodist?” said George. 

“I was just going to tell you about our 
church by reading our article of religion on 
that subject,” and turning to the 17th 
article, he read: 

XVII. OF BAPTISM. 

“Baptism is not only a sign of pro- 
fession, and mark of difference whereby 
Christians are distinguished from 
others that are not baptized: but it is 
also a sign of regeneration, or the n«w 
birth. The baptism of young children 
is to be retained in the Church.” 

“This is* what our book of discipline says, 
and every person who joins our church, 
subscribed to that doctrine. That is our 
law” 


TWO OLD LETTERS. 


47 


“I’m glad I never got all the way in then, 
if all who join subscribe to that article es- 
pecially the last two lines. ” 

*“Iwas baptized when a baby my parents 
say. Can you tell me what that was for?” 

“Why, that depends on what denomina- 
tion your parents were members of; for as I 
have already said, different branches of the 
church baptize for entirely different 
purposes. ” 

“Will it be true, scripture baptism, when 
done or administered, by different denomi- 
nations in different ways and for different 
purposes?” said George. 

“I suppose so; but you have not told me 
what your parents were religiously. ” 

“Oh, sure enough! They are Methodists.” 

“My advice to you Mr. Carter is to per- 
fect your membership in the church of your 
parents and leave all these perplexing doc- 
trines alone, for you’ll never reach the end of 
them. Leave them to the preachers. ” 

“I shall never reach the end of mathe- 
matics, and knew that when I was in college, 
but no one ever advised me to quit thinking 
and figuring just because I should never 
reach the end. But, parson, you have not 
told me yet why I was baptized. I had no 
inward work of grace and have not got it 
now, yet I was baptized when a baby they 
tell me.” 

*He was mistaken. His brothers and sisters were. 


48 


TWO OLD LETTERS. 


“Well, your parents believed in the 
Abrahamic church and as children were 
circumcised then, Methodist baptize them 
now. ” 

“Does the Old or New Testament say 
anything about an Abrahamic church?” 

“No, I do not remember that such an in- 
stitution is mentioned in the scripture at 
all.” 

“Where do Methodists and Presbyterians 
get all that talk about an Abrahamic church 
from anyhow?” 

“Really, I could not tell definitely, but 
think they picked it up from their best 
writers. ? ’ 

“Then, if I understand you, I was 
baptized, and other infants are, because 
Pedo-baptist writers thought there was 
some sort of organization called an Abra- 
hamic church. Does the New Testament 
mention the ‘baptism of young children’ at 
all?” 

“No, the subject is not mentioned by 
Christ or any of the Apostles. ” 

“Why does that 17th article say it must 
be retained in the church then?” 

“I see you’re disposed to argue Mr. Carter 
and I do not think any good comes of debate. 
We had better stop this conversation.” 

“I beg your pardon sir, but you are 
mistaken. I never have questioned one 



THE LAST NIGHT AT THE OLD HOME. 










































TWO OLD LETTERS. 


49 


of your answers. I have never read the 
scriptures till recently and only the New 
Testament then.” 

Just at that time the boat struck a snag 
and the captain came in raging and asked 
with regular steamboat emphasis: 

“What kind of a preacher was that “Cart,” 
you got aboard? I lay he was a Methodist 
because here we are on a snag, tight as 
thunder.” 

‘ ‘Captain Clank, allow me to introduce you 
to Rev. Mr Bolinger,” and George had 
them introduced quick as thought greatly 
to the embarassment of the captain, who 
soon made things easy, however, by telling 
Mr. B. about the old saying among river 
men concerning a preacher and a gray horse. 

Steamboating did not contribute much aid 
to George’s Bible study and he soon gave it 
up and began to drift * ‘to the bad’ ’ faster and 
faster as the days flew by. He was what one 
would call a drunkard and a gambler, almost 
before he was aware of the progress vice had 
made in his life. 

When the soul its mooring breaks 
And drifts away from God ; 

Its aimless course in darkness takes 
To meet the chastening rod— 

A ship dismantled in the storm, 

On passion’s billows rolls; 

The winds and breakers fraught with harm 

To all such drifting souls. 

( 4 ) 


50 


TWO OLD LETTERS. 


Its wreckage on some rockbound shore 
By hand of fate is thrown. 

We call them through the storm’s loud roar- 
For answer get a moan. 

The fiery flash of lightning’s hand 
From passion’s cloud so bold, 

Reveals the wreckage on the strand 
The tale so often told. 

This awful end becomes their choice 
When hope from life departs; 

The friends, who with them did rejoice, 

Bow down with aching hearts. 

This storm began in breezes fair; 

These souls no thunders heard 
They only trifled here and there 
With warnings in God’s word. 

Stolen waters we will have 



And bread in secret eat. 


God says nay, but let us prove 
This little law a cheat. 

They loved beyond law’s boundry line 
And then began to drift; 

They floated on the current fine 
Until it grew too swift. 

Back! they scream. “Too late, too late,” 
The maddened billows cry. 

Those who little laws doth hate, 

God says, must surely die. 

Then suicide by drug or knife, 

Or pistol shot so loud, 

Ends this deadly, awful strife 
With passion’s dark storm cloud. 


CHAPTER VII. 


In the meantime Jimmie, the old sailor 
who nursed George back to life, got to feel- 
ing like a young Irishman, to use his own 
words, and shipped in a vessel by the name 
of “Martha M. Heath. ” * 

Jimmie made one trip to New York and 
returned as far as the coast of Florida where 
he went ashore for the last time. Having no 
friends, he drifted into the country and to 
Squire Gholston’s home where he ended his 
days on this earth. He was so kind and good 
to Miss Hattie and she so thoughtful of his 
wants, that they became wonderful friends, 

Note— (While I am copying this M. S. from elaborate note 
Capt. C.O. Heath, the captain of that vessel lives in Corpus 
Ohristi Texas.) 


52 


TWO OJLD LETTERS, 


and were always together when such a thing 
was possible. Prank called him Hattie’s 
shadow because when she went to the yard 
to work among the flowers, Jimmie was 
there also. He would walk on his poor 
swollen feet clear to the village just to re- 
turn with her and carry her lunch basket 
from school where she was teaching. He 
had been everywhere, knew all history worth 
remembering and had the biography of all 
great men on his tongue’s end. When his 
limbs became so stiff and swollen that he 
could not walk to meet her, he would sit on 
the portico and watch for her return and 
then hobble to the gate and take the basket 
from her hand and carry it into the house. 
One day she was returning from school re- 
peating: 

“When chill November’s surly blast 
Made fields and forests bare, 

One evening as I wandered forth 
Along the banks of Ayr, 

1 spied a man whose aged steps 
Seemed weary, worn with care. 

His face was furrowed o’er with years 
A nd hoary was his hair. 

— Robert Burns. 

The falling leaves had suggested this poem 
and Jimmie’s fondness for it led her to recite 
it as she walked along. When she came in 
sight of home she did not see him on the 


TWO OLD LETTERS. 


53 


portico and a shudder came over her, bring- 
ing the great tears to her sweet blue eyes for 
she knew that poor Jimmie was not able to 
hobble even to the front door or he would 
have been there to greet her with a smile. 

She ran to his little room and found him 
on his bed rubbing his limbs with turpentine 
(his main remedy) and said: 

“Uncle Jimmie, are you very sick?” 

“No, child; I guess I’m just worn out.” 

“You’re cold. Lie down and I will put a 
warm brick or two about you and rub you 
also.” 

“Thank you child! That one-handed 
Irishman — Pat Milligan — said God would 
reward me, when I stayed up two nights and 
three days to keep the ice melted in the veins 
of that young Federal officer, and he has, 
for I’m ahead of the captain — he had an 
Irishman to nurse him, I have an Angel to do 
for me. Thanks to the Holy Mother!” 

“So you’ve nursed some too, Uncle Jim- 
mie, I see from your remark.” 

“Yes, child; and my last case was a bad 
one. The poor fellow was worse off than I 
am now and I doubt not that I shall die soon.” 

“Oh! I hope not,” interrupted Hattie. 

“But I got full compensation both in money 
and gratitude. The fellow really wanted to 
die, but he credited me for my good intention 
and was grateful to me just the same. ” 


54 


TWO OLD LETTERS. 


“Why did he wish to die?” 

“Oh! it was this way: He saw in some 
newspaper a notice of his sweetheart’s mar- 
riage and resolved to drown his sorrow in 
drink which was too much for him, not being 
accustomed to wine. All of it taken together 
gave him paralysis of the brain and he was 
as cold as a fish for three days, unconscious 
for seven, and unable to talk for nine.” 

“Here comes ’Cinda with your supper. 
Bless her old heart, she’s black, but I would 
have been in the mad-house or dead long ago 
but for her prayers and encouragement.” 

’Cinda’s big black eyes filled with tears as 
she said: 

“I knows God’s gwine to bring things out 
all right.” Jimmie chimed in Irishman like : 

“That’s my doctrine too ’Cinda, and the 
old maxi’s happy every day, thanks to the 
Holy Mother!” 

Hattie fed him with her own hands as his 
were drawn out of shape, swollen and shaky; 
bathed his feet in warm mustard water and 
took her seat at his bedside to comfort him 
till he was ready to sleep. 

The next morning she sent word to the 
village to get a young lady friend to teach in 
her place for she would not leave Jimmie 
who had grown much weaker. About eight 
o’clock he ate a few bites, drank a sip or 
two of coffee, complemented ’Cinda on her fine 


TWO OLD LETTERS. 


55 


cooking and fixed himself for the enjoyment 
of Hattie’s company, for he had learned that 
she had given up teaching to nurse and com- 
fort him. 

He had a wallet, as he called it, in which 
he kept a few plain clothes and other little 
articles unknown to all but himself. He 
called for this and asked her to untie it, as 
his hands were so swollen, which she did 
with a feeling akin to reverence and well 
she did, for the few relics it contained were 
of an unusually sacred character — mementos 
of undying love. He took an expensive ring 
first and said: 

“Miss, I never told Pat Milligan (and he 
came across with me from the old country,) 
but you shall know it. I bought that for my 
intended bride, but God (here he made the 
sign of the cross) took her, and I have car- 
ried it since. Give that to the priest when 
he comes to do the last rites for me. ’* 

“And this” — taking a fine watch from his 
wallet — “belonged to the young captain I 
nursed of whom I was telling you last night. 
Ah! he' was a man among men. ” 

“I thought he got well, ’’ Hattie said. 

“He did child, ’’ but it was this way. He 
gave me the watch when he was so sure he’d 
die, I went to give it back to him and he 
would not take it. He said a girl whom he 
loved more than life had evidently given him 


56 


TWO OLD LETTERS. 


up as dead in the war and married, and that 
he fully intended to commit suicide by jump- 
ing into the river, therefore, did not want 
the watch, containing his mother’s picture, 
on his person. Uncle Jimmie will soon be 
gone and you can have the watch — passing it 
to her— -and remember us both.” 

She opened it and gazed at the picture a 
few moments and said: 

“Jimmie what was that young officer’s 
name?” 

“Captain George Carter,” was the reply. 

The watch fell from her hand, her breath 
simply stopped while her heart became still 
as a stone and seemingly as heavy, and she 
arose and left the room with much agitation. 
Her mother seeing her emotion said: 

“Is Jimmie dying or dead?” 

“No, mamma, but he has just told me 
something that makes me wish I were, and 
I cannot understand, for the life of me, how 
it all came about.” 

Then she acknowledged (as she should 
have done before) her continued interest in 
George Carter, and told her mother all about 
the whole thing from beginning to end. 
After a moments reflection, Mrs. Gholston, 
a woman of great shrewdness, said: 

“Hattie; it all comes to me like a flash. 
You know when Hettie Helton was married 
it got into the Chronicle Hattie Gholston. 


TWO OLD LETTERS. 


57 


She being your half sister was called by that 
name by our nearest neighbors in Mississippi. 
Now George saw it in that paper, or one that 
had copied it from the Chronicle and was 
misled.” 

“But Oh! mamma! think of it! He died 
thinking I was false to my sacred obligation.” 

’Cinda, whose curiosity passed all limit at 
this new excitement and whose personal 
privilege admitted her to all parts of the 
house at all times, was there to remark: 

“Who said he died any how?” 

“No one, but I know he did or I would 
have gotten an answer from my “two let- 
ters” written about that time.” 

There was no let up in ’Cinda’s faith and 
she went back to the kitchen to look after 
the dinner, muttering: 

“God’s gwine to bring dis here thing out 
all right. He sho’ is. ” 

“Where do I smell all that turpentine and 
coaloil?” said Hattie, looking only to behold 
Jimmie standing in the door with his night 
clothes on and his feet wrapped in rags satur- 
ated with those favorite medicines of his. 
In spite of the fact that he was dying, almost 
he had crawled out of his bed and taken in 
the entire situation; and for one time at least, 
his sweet, old, rough, red face looked sad 
as the grave, his eyes were filled with tears 
and his lips quivered with emotion. 


58 


TWO OLD LETTERS. 


Hattie led him back to his little room 
covered him well in bed and put her face 
down on his neck and opened in silence a 
fountain of tears. Neither spoke for a long 
time, because Jimmie really thought George 
had committed suicide and he did not care to 
talk with her at all unless he could give her 
some hope, but finally his faith prevailed 
and he began, Irishman like, on the bright 
side of this sad subject: 

“All I know of myself, is discouraging; 
but the words of that one-handed Irishman, 
Pat Milligan, and the good providences of 
God, kind ’o lead me to believe that black 
Cinda is right about it— that God is going to 
bring it out all right.’ Pat said: God will 
reward you Jimmie for nursing that young 
man and here I am nursed in my last illness 
by the very one he loved above all else. ” 
“Don’t say ‘last illness’ Uncle Jimmie. I 
hope you’ll get well very soon. ’’ 

“No, child, I don’t care to, if only you’ll 
watch with me. I’m too old. I would like 
to live till Captain George comes, but I hard- 
ly shall. Tell him about old Uncle Jim, and 
give him my blessing. ’’ 

Hattie wiped the scalding tears from her 
eyes, pushed back a little and looking him 
full in the face said: 

“Uncle Jimmie, do you think he will ever 
come?” 


TWO OLD LETTERS. 


59 


“Ido, since I have studied these strange 
providences; but for the present child let us 
finish dividing my things.” He wanted to 
get her mind off of the disturbing matter as 
much as possible. 

“There, I’ve carried that razor about forty 
one years. Give that to Frank.” 

‘ ‘There are the pictures of my father and 
mother. For the life of me I can’t tell you 
what to do with them. ” 

“I’ll keep them till I die for your sake 
Uncle Jimmie,” said Hattie, if you will let 
me. 

“Very well; have it that way child and we 
will not bother to administer on and divide 
my estate any further, you can do just as 
you like with the other little traps.’’ 

“I notice I’m worse every third day so 
please have the priest come the day after 
tomorrow and I’ll get ready to meet my re- 
cord as all men must.” 

“Here comes ’Cinda with your dinner. 
Can’t you eat a bite with me?” 

After a few bites, in which Hattie joined 
to make him happy and a good long nap the 
old man was very much refreshed and full of 
talk; and being finely educated in Dublin, 
Ireland, with a whole life spent in reading 
history and ethics, he could speak with de- 
finite information on almost any subject 
known to the schools. 


60 


TWO OLD LETTERS. 


“Uncle Jimmie, I want to ask you a ques- 
tion purely for information.” 

“All right, my child, I’ll answer as best 
lean. What is it?” 

“It is this: Why will not our Methodist 
pastor do as well as your priest?” 

“That’s a grave question but if you will 
give me a little lemonade to wet my throat 
I’ll answer. Once upon a time our Lord had 
a church on this earth for he said: 

Mat. 16: 

18 And I say also unto thee, That 
thou art Peter, and upon this 
rock I will build my church, and the 
gates of hell shall not prevail against 
it. 

That church was ‘one body ’ with one form 
of government and one book of laws. ” 

She said, “I believe all that, from reading 
the New Testament, but what puzzles me is 
the hundreds of different denominations now, 
all wanting to be called a church.” 

“That is a puzzle but I’ll go on. There 
is a little Testament in my wallet given to me 
by my last captain at Sea — Captain C. C. 
Heath — please take it and read ( your eyes 
are youngj Ephesians 4: 

4 There is one body, and one Spirit, 
even as ye are called in one hope of 
your calling: 


TWO OLD LETTERS. 


61 


5 One Lord, one faith, one baptism, 

6 One God and Father of all, who is 
above all, and through all, and in you 
all. 

That proves what I first said —the oneness 
of the church, and now I am ready to 
to answer your question. 

(1) If that were the Catholic Church then 
the Methodist cannot be right, because they 
had no existence for seventeen hundred 
years afterwards and now differ much from 
that original plan. 

(2) If that were not the Catholic church 
then Catholics are wrong and the Methodist 
necessarily are also because they orginated 
from the Catholic church and are only two 
steps removed from it. 

The Catholic church may be wrong; the 
Methodist church must be wrong, though its 
members are as good and pious as any in the 
round world. I want the priest for his 
official ministrations. Merely to teach me 
morals, your Methodist preacher would do 
just as well, possibly better for he is a good 
pious man.” 

“Uncle Jimmie, you make a fine distinction 
between “ official ministration ” and moral work 
or teaching.” 

“I do; and it’s all in that distinction.” 

He went on: “The other day when the old 
man Colbin was about to die, they sent for 


62 


TWO OLD LETTERS. 


your father to officially take the acknow- 
ledgement of his will — your father is a 
Justice of the Peace you know.” 

“Yes, I remember” she said. 

“Mr. Clary, your Sunday school superin- 
tendent, was there reading the Bible and 
comforting the old man. Why didn’t he 
attend to the will? He is a good man. ” 

“I see plainly the distinction,” she said. 
• ‘One is an official act having legal authority 
behind it. The other is a moral work that 
any body can do. For instance, our ‘Jonath- 
an and David’ society has- done, and is doing a 
great moral work, but its officers never 
would think of baptizing or marrying any 
one, or administering the Lord’s Supper.” 

“You have the correct idea, ” said Jimmie, 
“And yet the officers of your society have 
just as much right to baptize folks as any 
Methodist preacher or other protestant de- 
nomination. They all started as societies, 
and worked along, little by little, till they 
ventured to call themselves churches, and 
assumed the right to officially act as such. 
That is why I want the priest.” 

“I *notice the name ‘Martha M. Heath’ 
in the back of this Testament,” said Hattie. 

“Exactly. That was the wife of my 
captain on my last trip at sea; and a great 
and good woman she must have been to make 


TWO OLD LETTERS. 


63 


a Baptist and such a good Christian, out of 
the old Captain.” 

“Your Captain was a Baptist then was he?” 

“A Baptist? John the Baptist was no 
stronger in that faith the day he baptized 
our Lord in the River Jordan.” 

“Uncle Jimmie, do you believe our Lord 
was baptized in the River Jordan — dipped or 
immersed in the water?” 

“I certainly do. Turn there and read for 
yourself and you will know it. ” Mat. 3: 

In those days came John the Baptist, 
preaching in the wilderness of Judea, 

2 And saying, Repent ye: for the 
kingdom of heaven is at hand. 

5 Then went out to him Jerusalem, 
and all Judea, and all the region 
round about Jordan, 

6 And were baptized of him in Jor- 
dan, confessing their sins. 

16 And Jesus, when he was baptized, 
went up straightway out of the water; 

“Christ’s disciples were among the people 
and saw him baptized, and when they came 
to do it they followed the same example. 
Please turn and read, your eyes are good. ’ 

Acts 8: 

38 And he commanded the chariot 
to stand still: and they went down 
both into the water, both Philip 


64 


TWO OLD LETTERS. 


and the eunuch; and he baptized him. 

39 And when they were come up out 
of the water, the Spirit of the Lord 
caught away Philip, that the eu- 
nuch saw him no more: and he went 
on his way rejoicing. 

“But, Uncle Jimmie, this don’t tell us he 
was put under the water.” 

“Well turn and read: 

Romans 6: 

3 Know ye not, that so many 
of us as were baptized into Jesus 
Christ were baptized into his death? 

4 Therefore we are buried with him 
by baptism into death: that like as 
Christ was raised up from the dead by 
the glory of the Father, even so we 
also should walk in newness of life. 

Colossians 2: 

2: 12 Buried with him in baptism, 
wherein also ye are risen with 
him through the faith of the 
operation of God, who hath raised him 
from the dead. 

There are many passages like these but I 
only refer you to a few. You can look the 
others up at your leisure. I am too exhaust- 
ed to talk more.” 

“Excuse me, Uncle Jimmie, I had grown 
so interested in your talk I lost sight of the 



REV. R. G. SEYMOUR, D. D. 

Missionary and Bible Secretary, American Baptist 
Publication Society. 






























































. 


















- 































TWO OLD LETTERS. 


65 


fact that you were sick. I, like most others, 
have accepted all my church doctrine blindly 
and never thought about these questions 
before. One really ought to study them 
sooner than I have but we are not encourag- 
ed to do so. 



( 5 ) 


66 


TWO OLD LETTERS. 


•Tis midnight; and on Olives’ brow 
The star is dimmed that lately shone: 

’Tis midnight; in the garden, now, 

The suffering Saviour prays alone. 

'Tis midnight; and from all removed, 

The Saviour wrestles lone with fears; 

E’en that disciple whom he loved 
Heeds not his Master’s grief and tears. 

’Tis midnight; and for others’ guilt 
The Man of sorrows weeps in blood; 

Yet he who hath in anguish knelt, 

Is not forsaken by his God. 

’Tis midnight; and from ether plains 
Is borne the song that angels know ; 

Unheard by mortals are the strains 
That sweetly soothe the Saviour’s woe. 

William, B. Tampan. 


CHAPTER VIII. 


Hattie went to work at once to secure the 
services of the priest at the time mentioned, 
and to her surprise when he came, found him 
a most cultivated, courteous, gentleman. 

Father Bordeaux (pronounced Bordo) was 
so well entertained that he remained one day 
longer than he expected, and Hattie soon 
found herself asking him questions about 
church matters — government ordinances, etc. 

‘‘Father Bordeaux, Jimmie told me that 
Christ was baptized in the water and that all 
the early Christians were immersed. Is it 
true? I could not believe it. ” 

“Certainly it’s true. I was not aware that 
anyone denied it who had ever read church 
history/’ 


68 


TWO OLD LETTERS. 


“Can you tell me liow it happened to be 
changed to sprinkling and pouring?” 

‘ ‘I can. But you can find that out yourself. 
I see you have quite an ecclesiastical library 
in the other room. ’’ 

“Yes, my uncle was a Methodist pi’eacher 
and gave his library to mamma at his death. 
I want you to tell me.” 

He began: “Our church — Catholic — has 
met the growing demands of mankind in 
every age since the days of Christ, and, in 
order to meet a demand of society, changed 
the ordinance of baptism from immersion to 
sprinkling; and we think the change a very 
desirable one. Don’t you? It is more con- 
venient.” 

“I’m not sure, ” she said, “unless I knew 
what authority the Catholic church had for 
making the change, and who did it. One 
thing I know, we ought not to consider the 
matter of convenience.” 

“Pope Stephen III, in the year 753, 
and afterward the council at Ravenna ac- 
cepted the change in our church,” said he. 
“Pope Pius V, and a committee of the Coun- 
cil of Trent gave the w^orld a Catechism and 
called attentiou to the change authorized by 
the committee, and it was finally accepted by 
all. Even Protestants are accepting it. 
Take your own church for instance. Mr. 
Wesley tried to hold on to the Apostolic form 


TWO OLD LETTERS. 


69 


of baptism by immersion, but the growing 
sentiment was too strong. He had to accept 
the change. ” 

“Did Mr. Wesley believe that immersion 
was the old way of baptizing — the way Christ 
and the Apostles did it?” she asked. 

“I’ll let you answer your own question and 
you’ll be better satisfied. Please bring me 
that book called ‘Wesley’s Notes’ from your 
uncle’s library. ( She brought it) Now turn 
to Romans VI 4 and read what he says by 
way of comment on that verse.” She read: 
‘We are buried with him,’ alluding to the 
ancient manner of baptizing.’ Again read: 
Colossians 2:12: ‘Buried with him in bap- 
tism. ’ ‘The ancient manner of baptizing by 
immersion is as manifestly alluded to here, ’ 
etc. When you carry this book back, take 
down Vol. I of ‘Wesley’s Works,’ and turn to 
page 130 and you will find that he immersed 
Mary Welsh, and positively refused to bap- 
tize Mrs. Parker’s child because she would 
not submit to an immersion. ” 

Hattie hurried away, found “Wesley’s 
Works” and discovered that the priest was 
correct — Wesley believed in immersion. But 
she hurried back to ask: “Father Bordeaux, 
didn’t Mr. Wesley believe in sprinkling also?” 

“Yes, my daughter, but he believed that 
immersion was the ancient manner, as you 
have seen from his own writings. Away 


70 


TWO OLD LETTERS. 


back there when our church changed the 
baptismal ordinance from dipping to sprink- 
ling there were no Protestants, and only a 
few Baptists, and there being no one to 
question the change but the little handful of 
Baptists, it was accepted generally, so that, 
when the reformation came, all the denomi- 
nations going out from us — Catholics — carried 
sprinkling with them, but never for once 
denied that immersion was the ‘ancient man- 
ner’ of baptizing. Your uncle was a Metho- 
dist preacher and had standard Pedo- baptist 
books. Go, bring me Vol. I. of Masheim’s 
church history and I’ll show you.” 

The book was there almost before he reach- 
ed the words “I’ll show you,” and, turning 
to page 108, edition 1821, he read; “The 
sacrament of baptism w 7 as administered in 
this century, without the public assemblies, 
in places appointed and prepared for that 
purpose and was performed by immersion of 
the whole body in the baptismal font.” This 
was the first century, and sprinkling had 
not come in. 

“Was Mr. Masheim a Pedo- baptist, and 
believed that?” she inquired with emphasis. 

“He w’as, and he was Chancellor of the 
University of Cottingen at that. I will say 
further, I do not know a writer of church 
history who does not substantially say the 
same thing, and it’s the whole truth. ” 


TWO OLD LETTERS. 


71 


Excuse me, Father Bordeaux, I am afraid I 
have neglected Jimmie.” 

“Certainly, daughter, for waiting on the 
sick is more important than talking church 
history. We are not so much concerned 
about what the church used to be. What it 
now is — that’s the question.” 

She would not argue with the priest but 
said to herself, as she hurried away to look 
after Jimmie: “I think we are concerned 
about what the church ‘used to be’ unless it 
can be shown that the Catholics had a right 
to change its form of government, laws, and 
ordinances, and this I very much doubt. ” 
“Well Uncle Jimmie, bless your soul! how 
are you getting on?” 

“All right, Miss. I feel better. ” 

“I’m so glad! I got to talking with Father 
Bordeaux and was afraid I had neglected 
you.” 

“No, child, ’Cinda has been in several 
times, and she told me what a theological 
school you and the Father were having. I 
was glad, for that priest is a scholarly man. ” 
“Yes but, Uncle Jimmie, if our Lord and 
the Apostles practiced and commanded im- 
mersion for baptism as you and Father Bor- 
deaux and the writers of church history say, 
and, if the Catholic Church changed it to 
sprinkling, which seems to be true, and, if 
the Methodist Church got sprinkling in that 


72 


TWO OLD LETTERS. 


way, I do not feel that I am baptized at all. 
i’m not satisfied.” 

“Your baptism comes just that way, but 
it’s all right, for the Holy Catholic Church 
had a right to change immersion to sprink- 
ling, and did it.” 

“It may have been all right to change it, 
but I can’t believe it; for if baptism had been 
given as a symbol to teach a certain lesson, 
and all admit this, that lesson is totally lost 
in the change. Sprinkling cannot symbolize 
anything that is properly taught by dipping.” 

“If you don’t look out, my little Miss, 
you’ll be as strong a Baptist as my old sea 
Captain I was telling you of — Capt. Heath. 
I thought I should die laughing at him one 
day in an argument with a man on board the 
ship. I think it was the ship’s mate. He 
(the mate) argued stoutly that immersion, 
sprinkling and pouring were all baptisms. 
The Captain showed that the word baptize 
simply meant to dip, immerse, plunge, and 
that to talk about baptizing a man by sprinkl- 
ing was as silly as to say a man was “dipped 
by sprinkling” or plunged by pouring. (By 
the way, I never knew till then that Webster 
in his Unabridged Dictionary stated positive- 
ly that the verb baptize comes from a Greek 
word which means “to dip in water.”) See 
Webster’s Dictionary. “Just at that mo- 
ment,” continued Jimmie, “some one yelled 


TWO OLD LETTERS. 


73 


out ‘Fitz Hogan is overboard!’ In a moment 
we had him aboard and returned to hear the 
debate. The old captain was sitting on a 
water barrel with a grin on his face, I knew 
it was coming when he said: ‘Boys, did Fitz 
fall in the sea by sprinkling or by pouring or 
by immersion?’ You just ought to have 
heard them Irishmen laugh. The mate saw 
the force of the question and as he walked 
astern said: ‘The old man is a hard-headed 
crank”. 

“Jimmie, if I believed like you I’d be a 
Baptist like ’Cinda and your sea captain. 
They are right. ” 

“Now I’ll puzzle you, my child, by saying 
that, if I believed like you, common sense 
would force me to be a Baptist.” 

“Yes, I own up you ‘puzzle’ me, and I want 
you to explain, then I may have ‘common 
sense’ enough to join ’Cinda’s church. She’s 
a Baptist.’ ’ 

“It’s this way: (1) The Catholic Church 
changed the form of its government from a 
Democratic to an Episcopal form — taking the 
power out of the hands of the people and 
putting it into the hands of the Pope. There 
is where the Methodists get the one-man 
power. Your government came from us. 
(2) The Catholic Church changed baptism 
from immersion to sprinkling. There is 
where sprinkling originated. I believe the 


74 


TWO OLD LETTERS. 


church had aright to make both changes, and 
others also, hence the monarchial government 
is right and sprinkling is right. You be- 
lieve the church had no right to make the 
change and yet practice the two changes we 
made and that too without any other authority 
for so doing than the Catholic change. ” 

“I have ‘common sense’ enough to see the 
force of that logic,” she said. 

“Don’t saw me any more with that word 
‘common sense. ’ I didn’t mean any reflection 
on you when I employed it. ” 

“I confess it stung me when you first used 
it,” she said, “but I deserved it. ‘Common 
sense’ is the word, and the whole matter re- 
solves itself into a common sense proposition: 
1. If the Catholic Church had the right to 
make these changes then that organization is 
right and I ought to belong to it. 2. If it 
had no right to make these changes then 
these denominations that come out of the 
Catholic Church, bringing the changes with 
them, cannot be right and I ought not to be a 
member of one of them — the Methodist. 
3. The Baptists, who deny all right to 
change anything about the church, and hold 
on to the original form of church government 
and the ‘ancient manner of baptizing’ as Mr. 
Wesley calls it, of necessity must be right if 
the ‘niggers’ are all Baptist.” 

“Good for my little girl! You are growing 


TWO OLD LETTERS. 


75 


quite logical, and correct in your reasoning 
even if it is against your training. ” 

“I do not believe the church has a right to 
change anything about itself. Our Lord left 
it just as he wanted it to remain till the end 
of time; and I do not believe in this ‘growing 
you mention, when it relates to changing 
form of government and the ordinance of 
baptism and the number and power of church 
officers, etc. ” 

“Then, child, you’ll have to leave the 
Methodist and join ’Cinda’s church sure as 
the good will of St. Patrick; for since I’ve 
been in America, these thirty-seven years, 
I’ve noted nine changes in the Methodist 
church, *and now they are going to change 
their form of government from a monarchy 
to a sort of semi-republic by giving the 
people the right to representation in their 
conference, along w T ith the preachers. ” 

“Yes, I’ve read all about that change but I 
never stopped to think until now, how far 
reaching this right to change is. It is a seri- 
ous matter, because the right to change at 
all carries with it the right to make any sort 
of change as the years go by. ” 

“It is not serious to me. I believe my 
church is infalabie and has a right to make 
all these changes; but Methodists deny the 
right of the Catholic Church to change these 
things by the authority of its Pope and 


*The Methodists did change as indicated above. 


76 


TWO OLD LETTERS. 


Councils and then incorporate into their own 
church the very changes Catholics have made. 
infant baptism, for instance, was author- 
ized and introduced by our Councils and the 
Popes. It never was mentioned in the 
scriptures, nor practiced by the early 
church. It came in by the changes the Cath- 
olic Church had a right to make, and the 
Methodist got it from us, I received it in in- 
fancy and, according to my theory, can con- 
sistently believe in it. According to your 
theory you can’t believe in it, and yet you 
have no other baptism.” 

“Isn’t infant baptism mentioned at all in 
the Scriptures?” she asked. 

“No, child, not even remotely hinted at 
but my church added it to meet the demands 
of society and I believe in it. Methodists 
got it from us.” 

“Uncle Jimmie, while I was glancing at 
the name ‘Martha M. Heath’ on the flyleaf of 
your Testament the other day my eye fell on 
these last verses in the book, and they im- 
pressed me.” Rev. 22: 

18 For I testify unto every man 
that heareth the words of the pro- 
phecy of thi9 book, If any man shall 
add unto these things, God shall add 
unto him the plagues that are written 
in this book: 

19 And if any man take away from 


TWO OLD LETTERS. 


77 


the words of the book of this prophecy, 

God shall take away his part out of the 
book of life, and out of the holy city, 
and from the things which are written 
in this book. 

A week from that date brought an elabo- 
rate funeral to a penniless man, while a heart 
wrapped in gloom waited future develop- 
ments. While Jimmie’s body was being low- 
ered into the grave, Hattie began to reason 
over some verses that had been suggested 
during her recent investigations and she 
called up I Cor. 15: 

29 Else what shall they do, which 
are baptized for the dead, if the 
dead rise not at all? why are they then 
baptized for the dead? 

Romans 6: 

3 Know ye not, that so many 
of us as were baptized into Jesus 
Christ were baptized into his death? 

4 Therefore we are buried with him 
by baptism into death: that like as 
Christ was raised up from the dead by 
the glory of the Father, even so we also 
should walk in newness of life. 

5 For if we have been planted to- 
gether in the likeness of his death, we 
shall be also in the likeness of his resur- 
rection : 


78 


TWO OLD LETTERS. 


Colossians 2: 

12 Buried with him in baptism, 
wherein also ye are risen with 
him through the faith of the opera- 
tion of God, who hath raised him from 
the dead. 

“And Mr. Wesley,” she said to herself, 
“says in his notes on the New Testament 
that these verses refer to the ancient manner 
of baptizing by immersion. ” 

As she beheld the body of her old friend 
lowered and covered in the grave and as she 
contemplated the resurrection she said: 

“That negro preacher had it all right at 
their baptismal service last Sunday when he 
said: 1 Baptism is a symbol, teaching 
people of every language one and the same 
lesson about death and resurrection. Sprink- 
ling don’t teach that lesson.” 

When she began to accept the simple mean- 
ing of these and other verses like them it 
was all plain enough and easily understood, 
but the idea of believing and practicing like 
the negroes was a great drawback for she 
had been taught that refined and educated 
people did not “go down into the water” and 
“come up out of the water” — negroes and 
ignorant folks did that way. When she re- 
turned home she read again Acts 8: 

37 And Philip said, If thou be- 
lievest with all thine heart, thou 


TWO OLD LETTERS. 


79 


mayest. And he answered and said, 

I believe that Jesus CIhrist is the Son 
of God. 

38 And he commanded the chariot to 
stand still; and they went down both 
into the water, both Philip and the 
eunuch; and he baptized him. 

39 And when they were come up out 
of the water, the Spirit of the Lord 
caught away Philip, that the eunuch 
saw him no more; and he went on his 
way rejoicing. 

“And that is a description of a baptism in 
the days of the Apostles, but it does not de- 
scribe my baptism or any I ever saw except 
those performed by ’Cinda’s pastor — the 
negro preacher, ’ ’ said she to herself. 

Matthew 3: 

13 Then cometh Jesus from Galilee 
to Jordan unto John, to be baptized 
of him- 

14 But John forbade him, saying, I 
have need to be baptized of thee, and 
comest thou to me? 

15 And Jesus answering said unto him, 

Suffer it to be so now: for thus it 
becometh to us to fulfill all righteous- 
ness. Then he suffered him. 

16 And Jesus, when he was baptized, 
went up straightway out of the water: 
and, lo, the heavens were opened unto 
him, and he saw the Spirit of God de- 
scending like a dove, and lighting upon 
him: 


80 


TWO OLD LETTERS. 


Lord, we are vile, and full of sin, 

We’re born unholy and unclean; 
Sprung from the man whose guilty fall 
Corrupts his race, and taints us all. 

Soon as we draw our infant breath 
The seeds of sin grow up for death; 

Thy law demands a perfect heart. 

But we’re defiled in every part. 

Nor bleeding bird, nor bleeding beast, 
Nor hyssop branch, nor earthly priest, 
Nor running brook, nor flood, nor sea, 
Can wash the dismal stain away. 

Jesus, thy blood, thy blood alone, 
Hath power sufficient to atone; 

Thy blood can make us white as snow; 
No other tide can cleanse us so. 


Isaac JTatt*. 


CHAPTER IX. 


George Carter, poor fellow! was still 
yielding to his troubles and dissipations so 
far that Captain Clank was liable to dis- 
charge him from the boat at any time. One 
day at Cairo a slight- of- hand man came 
aboard and won five dollars off of him in less 
than a minute with two shells and some little 
cork balls. The saddest feature of it all 
was that the money belonged to the office — 
not to George. 

When they landed at Memphis he went to 
the Captain and said: “How much is due 
me on wages, captain?” He knew, but this 
was his way of approaching the subject 
“I’ll see. Why, you are overdrawn now, 
Mr. Carter, |20.50.” 


82 


TWO OLD LETTERS. 


“Captain, if I needed money badly how 
much would you give me for this watch, as 
a pure business transaction, leaving our 
friendship clear out of the question?” 

“The watch is worth $50. On the con- 
dition you mention I’d give you $40, as a 
speculation, you understand.” 

“Take it and give me the money.” 

“Yes, but George, I don’t want to deal 
with you that way. If you need $40 you can 
have it. ” 

* 1 Give me $4-0, and take this watch,” said 
he, with an emphasis accompanied by a look 
calculated to make the knees of terror 
quake. 

Captain Clank, alarmed at his changed 
voice and expression, handed him $40, and 
George laid the watch in the show-case — 
the captain would not take it — and walked 
around on the other side of the little counter 
and began settlement with Captain Clank. 

“Here’s $20.50 over drawn salary. Here 
is $5.00 stolen money ” 

“ Please don’t call it stolen money, Captain 
Carter. If you took $5.00 out of the drawer 
in a business transaction I do not regard 
it ‘stolen’. What’s the matter with you?” 

“Simply this: If I must go to the dogs my 
honor and a high regard for the teachings 
of my mother shall remain with me. A man 
is fool enough when he bets on another man’s 


TWO OLD LETTERS. 


83 


trick, but when he steals the money to 
gamble with, he multiplies the force of the 
word fool a thousand times, and then adds the 
full meaning of the word thief.’’ 

He walked out of the office to begin a new 
career in spite of the captain’s effort to con- 
sole, and retain him in the service of the 
boat. As he walked away Captain Clank 
remarked: “that fellow is the very soul of 
honor, but I greatly fear he is ruined for- 
ever. He has suffered some great trouble 
but I never could draw him out. He handles 
all the money, and correctly too, but because 
he used $5 before it had been paid to him he 
felt like a thief. ” 

George obtained a position but lost it right 
soon through strong drink. He went to work 
at a livery stable and while intoxicated, 
broke a hack to pieces and was discharged. 
He hired himself out as porter at a saloon 
and it was here that he “came to himself.’’ 
His appetite for drink had grown strong, 
irresistibly so, but his pride would not 
permit him to beg and his poverty would not 
allow him to buy, till he had earned some 
money; so four days following his acceptance 
of the position as porter in the saloon he 
was ordered to roll out and pile up some 
beer kegs. While thus engaged he found 
himself draining the beer from these empty 
kegs into an oyster can and drinking it, 


84 


TWO OLD LETTERS. 


though it had grown stale and offensive. 
When the full extent of his degradation 
dawned upon him, he began to talk to him- 
self for it seemed as if he had awakened 
from a dream — a horrid nightmare —to a 
painful consciousness of the situation. 

“If Hattie Gholston, married or single, 
could see me drinking this old stale beer 
drained out of these old kegs, she would 
simply die of grief and I would die of shame. 
What do I mean? God help me!” 

To add further to his feeling of degrada- 
tion at that moment the bar-tender yelled 
out rudely — he was rough — 

“Cart, hurry up and bring a bucket of 
water from Cafery’s well, I have an old 
crank in here who will not take his drink 
till I get some water out of that hole-in-the 
ground.” 

George came with the water, and whom 
should he see but Major Saffin standing at 
the bar with a glass of whiskey in his hand 
waiting for the water. For shame he could 
not look up and for fear of being recognized 
he would not, so he gazed at the floor as if 
he never had had a countenance to look a 
man in the face, and sneaked out without being 
known by his old companion. As he took 
his seat on a beer keg, now completely 
overcome by his feelings, he said with 
anguish in every tone: 


TWO OLD LETTERS. 


85 


“It ‘bites like a serpent and stings like an 
adder’ in more ways than one.” 

Draining the beer (left by respectable (?) 
drinkers in the kegs) out into an old oyster 
can and drinking it suggested the prodigal 
son, ealing “the husks that the swine did 
not eat,” and he said: 

“I will arise and go to my father.” 

At this juncture he walked into the saloon 
with as much determination as he had when 
he resigned his place on the boat, and said : 

“How much is due me, Fred?” 

“Why, nothing much. You’ve only been 
here three or four days.” 

“Well that’s four days too much for a 
decent gentleman,” said George. 

“I admit that Cart., but 1 thought you 
suited your job first rate.” 

“I did suit the job when I began, but I 
waked up an hour ago from a stupor which 
has lasted twenty months. You and I are 
very much unlike seeing the characteristic 
that suits one to this sort of job, viz:— in- 
decency. The longer you stay, the better 
you are suited to the place, while four days 
totally unfitted me to remain. I’m going 
this very day. ” 

“What does the old man pay you?” 

“One dollar per day.” 

“Then, of course, he owes you $4.00. ” 

“Yes, and I want you to hand that to 


86 


TWO OLD LETTERS. 


Mother Cafery for my board and tell her I’m 
gone; that mere notion to be a ‘decent 
gentleman’ totally disqualified me for my 
job. ” 

“Have you got any money?” 

“Not a cent.” 

“How are you going to get away.” 

‘ ‘I have written to my father to send me 
money to Cincinnati, and Captain Clank, for 
whom I used to work, is here now with his 
boat, and will carry me to that point by the 
time the money gets there.” 

“Who’ll ‘feed your face’ on that long trip 
to Cincinnati, if you have no money? You 
had better keep the $4.00. and let the board 
bill go. ” 

At this suggestion George grew angry and 
said: 

“Never mind who ‘feeds my face.’ Hand 
me the $4.00, and I’ll carry it to her myself 
for I see you’re so well ‘suited’ to your job 
that I cannot trust you to' pay it when 
I’m gone.” 

So saying, he took the money, carried it to 
his landlady, got bis little cheap grip con- 
taining a few cheaper clothes and was off 
for the boat, now almost ready to start up 
the river, with a feeling of superlative re- 
lief known only to those who overcome pride 
and sinful habit by an unbending decision to 
do the right thing. He was perfectly 


TWO OLD LETTERS. 


87 


willing that the folks about the saloon 
should know that he intended to change his 
course, and this meant much, for ordinarily 
wicked men are really ashamed to let any one 
know of a good purpose in the heart. Thus 
the devil uses one wicked man to keep others 
in line and never pays them for the good 
service they render to his cause except in: 

“The wages of sin is death.” Rom. 6: 23. 


88 


TWO OLD LETTERS. 


IN HIS GOOD TIME. 

A. J. BUKDICK. 

Not for long the storms are raging; 

Not for long the shadows fall; 
Heaven, God and sweetest sunshine 
Hold dominion over all. 

And the winds will cease their wailing; 

And the storms will sink to rest: 
Bright again will fall the sunlight 
When the dear Lord deemeth best. 

Not for long the heart must suffer; 

Not for long the bitter pain. 

Love at last will be triumphant; 

Peace shall come to us again. 

And the piercing thorns of sorrow 
That now fret the throbbing breast, 
Will be plucked from out the bosom 
When the dear Lord deemeth best. 


CHAPTER X. 


Hattie did not return to school work at 
once after Jimmie’s death but left it in the 
hands of the young lady who occupied her 
place during his sickness, and resolved to 
investigate some of those church questions 
raised in her mind by Jimmie and Father 
Bordeaux, the priest. Her uncle’s fine 
theological library had been there all the 
time but it never had occurred to her to 
study the right or wrong of church doctrines. 
That old deceptive saying “anything will do 
if you are honest about it” had settled all 
doctrinal questions for her but now she 
began to see that “anything” would not 
do. 


90 


TWO OLD LETTERS. 


The priest had said that all historians of 
any note gave immersion as the form of 
baptism in the days of Christ and the 
Apostles, and for several hundred years 
following. She addressed herself to this 
question finding in her uncle’s library most 
of the books referred to by Father Bordeaux. 
As she read she made notes of the words 
employed by the different authors until she 
became perfectly astonished at the united 
testimony of all historians. When she 
carried the following notes to her mother, 
she said: 

“I am really in trouble mother.” 

“What’s the matter, my child?” 

(1) ‘T don’t want to think Uncle Morris 
w T as insincere as a minister. 

(2) ‘‘I do not want to think he was an 
idiot. 

(3) “I do not want to think he w T as blinded 
by prejudice.” 

“Why should you do either?” 

“Because the very books he bought and 
studied in order to be a Methodist preacher 
unite in teaching dipping for baptism during 
the days of Christ and his apostles and for 
several hundred years afterward. In fact, 
till the Catholic church changed it to 
sprinkling, just as that priest said. Look 
at these notes, and the books are right 
there to speak further for themselves. 


TWO OLD LETTERS. 


91 


Note 1. Pope Gregory the Great, believed 
in immersion and sent St. Augustine, in 
charge of forty missionaries, to England 
where they baptized ten thousand by 
immersion. A. D. 596. Fulleris church 
history of Biritain, Vol. 1, p. 97, 98, London 
1837. Green’s History of the English People, 
p 55, New York. 

Note 2. Bede, the father of English 
history, who wrote thirteen hundred years 
ago bears testimony to the universal prac- 
tice of immersion and mentions the baptism 
of the Northumbrians by dipping. 

Note 3. In the days of Bede, the first 
great English historian, they appointed a 
certain day, months in advance, for admin- 
istering baptism, hence Pope Gregory wrote 
to the Patriarch of Alexandria informing 
him of ten thousand English, baptized in one 
day by St. Augustine and the forty mission- 
aries under his control, A. D. 597, in the 
River Swale. 

Speaking from personal observation about 
A. D , 730, Bede says: ‘For he truly who is 
baptized is seen to descend into the fountain 
— he is seen to be dipped in the waters, — he 
is seen to ascend from the waters; but that 
which makes the fount regenerate him can 
by no means be seen.’ 

Note 4. Laufranc, made Archbishop of 


92 


TWO OLD LETTERS. 


Canterbury by William the Conqueror, be- 
lieved and practiced immersion. 

Note 5. Cardinal Pullus, promoted to that 
office by the Pope, A. D., 1114, writes in his 
system of divinity: ‘Whilst the candidate 
for baptism in water is immersed the death 
of Christ is suggested; whilst immersed and 
covered with water the burial of Christ is 
shown forth; whilst he is raised from the 
waters the resurrection of Christ is 
proclaimed.’ 

Note 6. The Catholic Church had author- 
ized the change from immersion to sprinkling 
but the people were hundreds of years 
accepting it to any extent. In fact more 
than half the Christian world today are 
immersionists. The Greek Catholics dip 
only. Watson, Bishop of Lincoln, A. D., 
1558, says: ‘The old and ancient tradition 
of the church hath been from the beginning 
to dip the child three times, etc., yet that is 
not of such necessity; but that if he be but 
once dipped in the water it is sufficient. 
Yea, and in time of great peril and necessity 
if the water be but poured on his head it 
will suffice.’ Seven Sacraments, page 32. 

Note 7. When the Presbyterian confession 
of faith was made by the Westminister con- 
vention of preachers, twenty-four voted to 
retain the ancient custom of dipping, and 
twenty- five favored sprinkling for baptism. 


TWO OLD LETTERS. 


93 


By one vote Presbyterians adopted the 
change made by the Catholic church. 
Lightfoot Vol. XIII p 301, London edition. 

Note 8. The King of Spain convened a 
church council (Catholic) A. D. 633 which, 
to calm trouble, declared in favor of 
immersion. All were agreed on immersion. 
Some thought sprinkling would do. 

Note 9. The Great Reformer, Martin 
Luther believed and practiced immersion. 
Luther’s Works, Vol. I, p 183. St. Boniface 
introduced it into that country, A. D , 608, 
and immersion spread all over Germany.’ 
Luther as a Catholic knew nothing else. 

Note 10. Pope Leo the Great, A. D, 440, 
was an immersionist and ordered Ihe custom 
throughout the ‘universal church.’ In the 
Roman Catholic Catechism given to the 
world by the Council of Trent and Pope 
Pius V, these words are used: “Immersion 
was long observed and that from the earliest 
times of the church.” 

Note 11. I quote here the exact words of 
Dr. Stanley Dean, of Westminister London: 
‘With the two exceptions of the Cathedral 
of Milan and the sect of the Baptists, a few 
drops of water are now the western substi- 
tute for the threefold plunge into the rush- 
ing river or the wide baptistries of the East.’ 
Stanley’s History, Eastern Church, p 117, 
New York, 1870. 


94 


TWO OLD LETTERS. 


Note 12. The Greek Catholic, and 
Eastern Churches, never made any change 
in the ancient manner of baptizing, hence 
nothing but immersion is known among them 
to this day. ” 

Hattie returned to her uncle’s library while 
her mother read the twelve notes she had 
made as a result of recent study, and began 
to push her investigations to other musty 
volumes. “Ancient Christianity Exem- 
plified, ” by Lyman Coleman. D. D., many 
years professor in Lafayette College Pa., a 
Presbyterian author of great research, was 
first to receive her attention. She carried it 
to her mother and read from page 395. 

“In the primitive church, immediately 
subsequent to the age of the apostles im- 
mersion or dipping was undeniably the 
common mode of baptism. The utmost that 
can be said of sprinkling in that early period 
is that it was in cases of necessity permitted. ” 

She read again on page 397 — same author 
— to substantiate her 12th note which her 
mother had just questioned: 

“It is a great mistake to suppose that 
baptism by immersion was discontinued 
when infant baptism became generally pre- 
valent. The practice of immersion continued 
even until the thirteenth or fourteenth 
century. Indeed it has never been formally 
abandoned, but is still the mode of admin- 


TWO OLD LETTERS. 


95 


istering infant baptism in the Greek Church 
and in several of the Eastern churches.” 

“I must say I am both interested and 
bewildered by the study of these subjects 
and I shall send in and have Dr. Dunn, our 
Methodist pastor come out and spend Satur- 
day with us and help me out. ” 

“Oh! child, I would not bother any more 
about them. Our preachers have studied 
them and that is sufficient. Do your duty 
and leave these questions alone.” 

“Mother, suppose I change your language 
a little. ‘Our preachers’ can go to heaven 
for us, ‘and that is sufficient. ’ How does 
that sound? I shall never depend on any 
man or woman to know the truth for me, 
or to believe the truth for me, or to 
practice the truth for me. What did you 
and father spend so much money on my 
college education for, if I am to sit down and 
let the preacher do my thinking?” 

“Yes, daughter, but these church 
questions are difficult and that is why we 
have preachers.” 

“Mother, the science of Mathematics, 
Astronomy, languages — Latin, Greek, En- 
glish — are all ‘difficult’ and that is why we 
have professors, or teachers; but are we to let 
them do our thinking, and knowing? My 
teacher in English said one never could 
know all about the English language, yet 


96 


TWO OLD LETTERS. 


he urged us to study the history that we 
might understand all about it for ourselves. 
I’ve noticed this about all of our preachers. 
They want to settle all difficult questions in 
church history, and knotty ones in doctrines 
by an intelligent wave of the hand and ‘do 
your duty and these doctrines will not 
bother you. ’ ” 

“Hattie, you talk as much like your grand- 
father Gholston as if he were here in person 
speaking. ” 

“Yes, and old Massa Gholston was a Baptist 
too,’ chimed Cinda, and he said dat even a 
nigger could understand de scriptures, da 
was so plain.” 

“Was grandfather a Baptist?” 

“Yes, and every slave he had belonged to 
the Baptist church. That’s how ’Cinda 
came to be one. ” 

“Why haven’t you told me this before?” 

“I hardly know. It just never came up.” 

“Why, didn’t you tell me ’Cinda?” 

“You see chile it was dis way. Yo grand- 
father died long years ago (wiping the tears 
from her eyes ) in old Massasippa, den I 
come to live wid yo ma when you’s a little 
chile. Yo father had done gone and jined 
de Methodist and I did not want to give any 
‘sturbin’ information.” 

“Oh, it would not have disturbed me.” 



THE TITLE PAGE OE WESLEY’S TESTAMENT. 








































TWO OLD LETTERS. 


97 


“It has ’sturbed you now dat yo's larnin 
some of de doctrines. ” 

“Mother, how did father come to be a 
Methodist?” 

“Well, about one week after we were 
married, Dr. Davis, our pastor, came and 
told me I must get my husband into the 
church while I had him so perfectly under 
my influence, or I might regret it all the 
remainder of my life. I told him Mr. 
Gholston was not converted, not a regener- 
ated man. He said that made no difference 
that the Methodist church received all who 
desired to ‘flee the wrath to come.’ With 
this, I and Dr. D. succeeded in getting him 
in. He would not be sprinkled and Dr. D. 
was not prepared to go to the creek and 
baptize him and to this day he has never 
received baptism.” 

“Has he ever been converted?” Hattie 
asked. 

“1 am not so certain he has, though I some 
times hope he has.” 

“Well, I believe in a higher motive for 
joining the church than the influence of a 
young wife or a young husband, and I have 
no respect for a preacher who exerts social 
influence instead of gospel principles to 
secure members,” said Hattie with much 
feeling. ‘Father is an officer in our church 

now, and has been ever since I can remem- 

( 7 ) 


98 


TWO OLD LETTERS. 


ber and yet he has never been baptized and 
possibly never converted. Now if that isn’t 
looseness with a vengeance, I do not know 
what to name it. But that is Methodism. 
They simply want one to go on and say 
nothing. They all oppose any investigation. 
I mean to do my own thinking, and I would 
be ashamed of my husband, if I had one, if 
he were to join the church to please me. 
One should join to please God and then look in 
the New Testament to find the modes of pro- 
cedure. The very idea of short sighted man 
deciding on what he will or will not do, when 
God speaks plainly in his word. ’ ’ 


CHAPTER XI. 

Hr. Dunn was on hand early Saturday 
morning to spend the day and help Miss 
Hattie in her “troubles” — studies. 

“Dr. Dunn, as pastor of our church and my 
teacher in religious matters, I want you to 
pass on this list of books and tell me if thej r 
are standard works, or are they Baptist 
fabrications?” 

John Wesley’s Works. 

John Wesley’s notes on The New Testa- 
ment. 

Mosheim’s Ecclesiastical History. 

Calmet’s Works. 

Fuller’s History of Britain. 

Green’s History of the English People. 

Bede’s History. 


L.af 0. 


100 


TWO OLD LETTERS. 


Seven Sacraments. 

Lightfoot’s Works. 

Stanley’s History Eastern Church. 

Coleman’s Ancient Christianity Exem- 
plified.” 

“I am familiar with the list of books. 
They are all standard works and not a 
Baptist book among them. Where on earth 
did you ever get such a collection? The 
Baptists have no preachers who can write 
books. ’ ’ 

‘•My uncle was a Methodist minister and 
at his death gave his library to my mother,” 
said Hattie, and they are all here. 

“The books are all right I assure you.” 

“You’d better look out Bro. Dunn. You 
have an Irish theologian after you and the 
first thing you know she’ll have you in a 
trap,” said Capt. Frank Gholston who was at 
home for a few days from his levee contract. 

“What’s up with Miss Hattie? Is she pre- 
paring to preach?” 

Before Frank could answer, she said: “No, 
I hope I’ll never come down to that,” with 
a twinkle in her blue eye. But I want to ask 
you a threefold question, viz: — 

“Did the church come wholly from God, 
or did it come by the inventions of man, or 
did God and man both have a hand in getting 
it up? That you may understand me before 
you answer, I’ll say: — 


TWO OLD LETTERS. 


101 


(1) If it came from God, it is divine. 

(2) If it came from man, it is human. 

(3) If it came from both, it is a mixture.” 

“Miss Hattie, I believe the Captain was 

right about your being a theologian, for 
your question gets right down to the bottom 
of all theology so that I feel a grave respon- 
sibility in answering it. 

( 1 ) If I say it is wholly from God, you’ll 
raise some question about the Methodist 
church being organized by man — John 
Wesley. 

(2) If I say it is from man, you will tell 
me that the Masons, Oddfellows and Sons of 
Temperance are of the same value and same 
authority — from man. 

( 3 ) If I say it comes from both, you’ll then 
ask what part came from God and what part 
came from man. 

Now, Miss Hattie, I’m going to give you 
a candid, honest answer knowing at the same 
time that it involves me, as a Methodist 
preacher, in great difficulties: I believe the 
church is wholly from God , and therefore a 
divine institution. 

Please turn and read in your New Testa- 
ment: 

Mat. 16: 

18 And I say also unto thee, That 
thou art Peter, and upon this rock I 
will build my church, and the gates 
of hell shall not prevail against it. 


102 


TWO OLD LETTERS. 


Acts 20: 

28 Tf Take heed therefore unto 
yourselves, and to all the flock, over 
the which the Holy Ghost hath made 
you overseers, to feed the church of 
God, which he hath purchased with 
his own blood. 

I Corinthians 1: 

2 Unto the churfch of God which is at 
Corinth, to them that are sanctified 
in Christ Jesus, called to the saints, with 
all that in every place call upon the 
name of Jesus Christ our Lord, both 
theirs and ours: 

I Corinthians 10: 

32 Give none offence, neither to the 
Jews, nor to the Gentiles, nor to the 
church of God: 

I Corinthians 11: 

22 What? have ye not houses to eat 
and to drink in? or despise ye the 
cburch of God? 

I Corinthians 15: 

9 For I am the least of the apostles, 
that am not meet to be called an 
apostle, because I persecuted the church 
of God. 

I Tim. 3: 

5 (For if a man know not how 
to rule his own house, how shall he 
take care of the church of God?) 


TWO OLD LETTERS. 


103 


With these Scriptures before me I must 
believe in the divine origin of the church.” 

“Do our Methodist preachers generally 
believe, as strongly as you, in the divine 
origin of the church?” 

“They do not emphasize the doctrine * 
much, and one hardly knows what they be- 
lieve on this point.” 

‘ T thought not, for I have heard them all 
my life, say more about John Wesley, ten to 
one, in connection with the origin of the 
church than about the Lord Jesus Christ, 
and the New Testament is rarely mentioned. 

I want to ask you one more question.” 

“All right, I’ll answer.” 

“Do you believe the church has any right 
to change its form of government , its ordinan- 
ces or its laws ', ?” 

“I do not believe it has any right to 
change any of these things, but I am aware 
that this answer gets me deeper into tro able 
again, but I’ll get out later on.” 

“When did God’s church come into ex- 
istence?” 

“We Methodists believe it came into ex- 
istence in the Garden of Eden and has slowly 
developed into what we now have.” 

“Do you mean to say slowly developed in- 
to the Methodist church?” 

“Not exactly that, but into all evangelical 
churches — the general church or universal.” 


104 


TWO OLD LETTERS. 


“At what time did it stop developing - 
before, during, or after the days of the 
Saviour?” 

“Miss Hattie, you have a way of putting 
your questions in the form of an argument 
instead of a simple interrogation. 

( 1 ) If I say it was completed and stopped 
developing before the days of Christ then 
you will quote Mat. 16: 18 where Jesus said: 
‘I will build my church,’ etc. 

(2) If I say during the days of Christ on 
the earth, you will say that these churches 
that have come into existence more than one 
thousand five hundred years since that time 
are mere human institutions. 

(3) If I say its laws, policy and form of 
government etc., are still developing you’ll 
answer that they have no more claim on or 
authority over the life and conduct of the 
individual than the persons have who are 
developing them.” 

“Where does the word church first occur — 
in the old or New Testament?” 

“In the New Testament where Jesus says: 
‘I will build my church,’ Mat. 16: 18.” 

“Yes,” said she, “and I do not believe 
there ever was a church till the Lord Jesus 
came and started His church. We’ve no 
right to say there was unless God had said 
it in His Holy Bible and you tell me the 
word church does not even occur, in any 


TWO OLD LETTERS. 


105 


connection, in the Old Testament. I’ve 
heard our preacher say so much about the 
Edenic church, Abrahamic church and the 
Mosaic church that I thought the Old Testa- 
ment was full of talk about the church and 
now you tell me that the simple word church 
does not occur once in the Bible and not in 
the New Testament till our Lord employed 
it to describe the organization he set up in 
the world.” 

“Miss Hattie, we Methodists believe that 
a congregation of people meeting to worship 
God is a church. We are liberal you see.” 

“What right have ‘we Methodist’ to call 
a crowd of worshippers a church when God 
names them something else or fails to give 
them any name at all?” 

John the Baptist preached, baptized and 
got a big crowd of worshippers to meeting 
regularily but he was careful not to call it a 
church. Jesus our Lord did not call his 
crowd of worshippers a church until he had 
properly organized it and appointed its 
officers and instituted its ordinances. See 
Luke 6: 

13 And when it was day, he called 
unto him his disciples: and of them he 
chose twelve, whom also he named 
apostles: 

These were the first officers appointed in 


106 


TWO OLD LETTERS. 


that organization called a church in the Holy 
Scriptures. See I Corinthians 12: 

27 Now ye are the body of Christ, 
and members in particular: 

28 And God hath set some in the 
church, first apostles, secondarily 
prophets, thirdly teachers, after that 
miracles, then gifts of healings, helps, 
governments, diversities of tongues. 

By studying the time, I find that Jesus 
made these appointments and organized his 
church the day he preached the ‘sermon on 
the Mount, ’ Mat. 5th chapter etc., and there 
was a big crowd present from which he 
selected the members of his church. Luke 6: 

13 ^ And when it was day, he called 
unto him his disciples: and of them he 
chose twelve, whom also he named 
apostles; 

14 Simon, (whom he also named 
Peter,) and Andrew his brother, James 
and John, Philip and Bartholomew, 

15 Matthew and Thomas, James the 
son of Alpheaus, and Simon called 
Zelotes, 

16 AudJud is, the brother of James, 
and Judas is-cariot, which also was the 
traitor. 

17 If And he came down with them, 
and stood in the plain, and thecompany 
of his disciples and a great multitude 
of people out of all Judea and Jerusa- 
lem, and from the sea coast of Tyre and 


TWO OLD LETTERS. 


107 


Sidon, which came to hear him and to 
be healed of their diseases; 

18 And they that were vexed with 
unclean spirits: and they were healed. 

19 And the whole multitude sought 
to touch him; for there went virtue 
out of him, and healed them all. 

20 H And he lifted up his eyes on his 
disciples aud said, Blessed be ye poor; 
for yours is the kingdom of God. 

21 Blessed are ye that hunger now; 
for ye shall be filled. Blessed are ye 
that weep now; for ye shall laugh. 

22 Blessed are ye, when men shall 
hate you, and when they shall separate 
you from their company, and shall 
reproach you, and cast out your name 
as evil, for the Son of man’s sake. 

23 Rejoice ye in that day, and leap 
for joy: for, behold, your reward is 
great in heaven: for in the like manner 
did their fathers unto the prophets. 

Luke is writing up here the same meeting 
that Matthew records in the 5th, 6th and 7th 
chapters of his Gospel, only Matthew puts 
the stress on the sermon, while Luke em- 
phasizes the organization. Jesus finished 
it, — John 17: 

4 I have glorified thee on the earth: 

1 have finished the work which thou 
gavest me to do- 

He did not leave any part" of it to be de- 
veloped and completed by any man or set of 


108 


TWO OLD LETTERS. 


men. When it was completed it suited Him 
for, Ephesians 5: 

25 Christ also loved the church, and 
gave himself for it; 

26 That he might sanctify and 
cleanse it with the washing of water 
by the word. 

27 That he might present it to him- 
self a glorious church, not having spot, 
or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that 
it should be holy and without blemish. 

28 So ought men to love their wives 
as their own bodies. He that loveth 
his wife loveth himself. 

29 For no man ever yet hated his 
own flesh; but nourisheth and therisli- 
eth it, even as the Lord the church: 

30 For we are members of his body, 
of his flesh, and of his bones. 

31 For this cause shall a man leave 
his father and mcther, and shall be 
joined unto his wife, and they two 
shall be one flesh. 

32 This is a great mystery: but I 
speak concerning Christ and the 
church. 

Luke was the church clerk, and kept the 
records, list of members, etc. This accounts 
for his writing the Acts of the Apostles. 

Acts I. 

13 And when they were come in, they 
went up into an upper room where 
abode both Peter, and James, and John 


TWO OLD LETTERS. 


109 


and Andrew, Philip, and Thomas, Bar- 
tholomew, and Matthew, James the 
son of Alphaeus and Simon Zelotes, and 
Judas the brother of James. 

14 These all continued with one ac- 
cord in prayer and supplication, with 
the women, and Mary, the mother of 
Jesus, and with his brethren. 

11 And in those days Peter stood up in 
the midst of the disciples, and said the 
number of names together were about 
an hundred and twenty,) 

In the minute he made of that meeting he 
mentions the names of twelve persons pres- 
ent out of the one hundred and twenty in the 
assembly. This was church work. 

Miss Hattie had become enthused while 
presenting the above scriptural argument 
and stood before them with Bible in hand. 

“Captain Prank, I think Miss Hattie is 
coming ‘down’ right fast and she will soon 
be low enough to begin preaching, ” said Mr. 
Dunn by way of retort for what she said at 
the outset. 

“That’s all right, about my preaching, but 
I mean to study this question of church 
making to the bottom and if I find that man 
has a right to found a church I shall repudi- 
ate the whole business as a great overgrown 
farce— a human play thing. ” 

“I’ll tell you, parson,’’ said Prank, “that 
old priest who came here to ticket Jimmie 


110 


TWO OLD LETTERS. 


through to Heaven and check his baggage 
for him got Hat, all in a stew, and she has 
read day and night since. She gave up her 
position in the school for nothing else but 
to study Uncle Morris’ old church library 
that’s been out of date twenty years. ” 

‘ ‘Frank, it is not your ‘put in.’ I have one 
more conclusion I wish Dr. Dunn to correct if 
it is incorrect, and then I’m done.” 

“Your ‘conclusions, ’ Miss Hattie, are so 
carefully drawn that they are hard to manage 
unless one can just ‘tip his hat’ in graceful 
agreement with them.” 

“To my mind the form of government is 
the main thing about a church or a nation,” 
she began. “Our state government makes 
us what we are. ” 

(1) A GOVERNMENT MAY BE TOO STRONG — 
too much centralized, and trespass on the 
rights of those to be governed in church or 
state. 

(2) A GOVERNMENT, ON THE OTHER HAND, 
may be too weak — not enough centraliza- 
tion, and fail to protect the rights of those 
to be governed, On this account our Lord 
did not leave the form of government for his 
church, to be invented by men; for if those 
who are to govern invent it they will make it 
too strong; give themselves too much 
power. If those who are to be governed 


TWO OLD LETTERS. 


Ill 


invent the government they will make it too 
weak — too much generalization. ’ ’ 

“If you have instances in mind of these 
two propositions will you kindly mention 
them that I may get fully into your idea; for 
I confess these are very important points 
you are getting at now,” said Dr Dunn who 
by this time was thoroughly astonished at 
the way she had gone into the subject. 

“I might get better ones by a moments 
reflection but I will say: 

( 1 ) Our Methodist form of government is 
an instance where those who were to rule 
made the government and made it too strong. 
Our Bishops are ecclesiastical despots. 
Every part of our book of discipline may be 
changed but that which relates to the epis- 
copacy and gives the Bishop unlimited 
power. That is not within the power of any 
conference. 

(2) The Christian church (Campbellites) 
furnishes an example of a government that 
is too weak — not enough centralized. Noth- 
ing is hedged in by governmental regula- 
tions among them and every man can do 
official work if he chooses. There is noth- 
ing to unite with when one joins them, and 
no well defined organization from which one 
is excluded if he proves unfaithful.” 

“Miss Hattie, you have this subject so well 
in hand, please give us an example of one 
that is exactly right. ” 


112 


TWO OLD LETTERS. 


“The church at Jerusalem was the or- 
ganization Jesus formed and it had a mem- 
bership of 120 men and women all of whom 
took part in the ( 1 ) worship and in the (2) 
business. Peter was pastor till he went out 
on his mission work, and James was elected 
by the church as pastor. At the first meet- 
ing after our Lord ascended they had a 
business session, at the close of the period 
for worship, and went into the election of an 
apostle. Acts 2: 

14 These all continued with one 
accord in prayer and supplication, with 
the women, and Mary the mother of 
Jesus, and with his brethren. 

15 % And in those days Peter stood 
up in the midst of the disciples, and 
said, (the number of names together 
were about an hundred and twenty.) 

* * * * 

21 Wherefore of these men which 
have companied with us ail the time 
that the Lord Jesus went in and out 
among us. 

22 Beginning from the baptism of 
John, unto that same day that he was 
taken up from us, must one be orlained 
to be a witness with us of his resurrec- 
tion. 

23 And they appointed two, Joseph 
called Barsabas, who was surnamed 
Justus, and Matthias. 

24 And they prayed, and said, Thou 
Lord, which knowest the hearts of all 
men, shew whether of these two thou 


// 


O./ 4- 




11 


ST. MATTHEW Ch. iii. a — 

/ 

hath .eyed you to flee from the wrath to fouie? Bring forth 
tin ; Uofe fruit worthy of repentance: and say not confidently 
'uuftiu yourselves, We have Abraham to our father"; fori say 
unto you, God is able of these stones to raise up children to Abra • 
ham. But the axe also already iieth at the root of the trees ; there- 
fore every tree that bringeth not. forth good fruit, is hewn down 
and cast into the fire. 1 indeed baptize you with water unto re- 
pentance ; but he that" cometh after me is mightier than I ; whose 
shoes 1 am not worthy to bear; he shall baptize you with the Holy 

12 Ghost and with fire : Whose fan is in his hand, and he will tho- 
roughly cleanse his floor, and gather the wheat into the garner, 
but wilt burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire. 

IS * Then cometh Jesus .from Galilee to Jordan unto John, to be 

14 baptized by him. But Jfchn forbad him, saying, I have need to 

15 be baptized of thee, and contest thou to me ! And Jesus answer- 
ing said to him, Suffer :"4 now ; for thus it become tb us to fulfil 

16 all righteousness. Then he suffered him. And Jesus being bap- 

T tized, Wenrii’p straightway from the water, and lo tht* heavenv 

T were opened to him, and he saw the SpiriCof God descending like; 

If a dove, and coming upon him/ And lo a voice out of the heaven*, 

saying, this is my beloved Sod in whom I delight. f 

IV' Then *wa$ Jesus led up by the Spirit into the wilderness tot 

2 be tempted by the devil. And having lasted forty clays and forty! 

3 nights, he wa« afterwards hungry. And the tempter coming tof 
him, said, If thou be the Son of God, command that these stones 

4 be made bread. But he answering said, It is written; t Man 
shall not five by bread-alone, but by every word that proceedeth ’ 

5 out of the mouth of God. Then the devil taketh him with him f 
into the holy city, and settelh him on the battlement of the temple I 

6 And'saith unto him, If thou be the Son of God, cast thyself down ;J 
for it is written, fHe shall charge his Angels concerning thee, and/ 
in their hands they sh’kil bear thee up, lest at any time thou dasbl 

/ thy foot against a stone. Jesus said to him. it L y.i Uten agaU/ 


PHOTOGRAPHIC REPRODUCTION OF TIIE THIRD CHAPTER 
OF MATTHEW FROM WESLEY’S TESTAMENT. 






















































































































. 









TWO OLD LETTERS. 


113 


hast chosen. 

25 That he may take part of this 
ministry and apostleship, from which 
Judas by transgression fell, that he 
might go to his own place. 

26 And they gave forth their lots; 
and the lot fell upon Matthias; and 
he was numbered with the eleven 
apostles. 

A majority of the members present voted 
for Matthias and he was declared elected. 
In this church the ruling power was located 
in the ballots of its members, and this 
fact discloses a great and important 
qualification for membership in the church, 
viz: — age and discretion enough to vote on 
questions before the church -adult mem- 
bership. 

The episcopal form of church government 
was not invented until about 325 years after 
Christ, and then by men who wanted to hold 
the offices they created.” 

From that time ’till the present, men have 
sought to create offices in the church con- 
trary to the teachings of Scripture, in order 
to furnish themselves a place and salary. 

“Have we any churches governed that 
way now?” 

“Yes, I have been reading one of my grand- 
father ’s old books and find that the Baptists 
are governed exactly that way — the book is 
called “Iron Wheel,” and they use the New 

(8) 


114 


TWO OLD LETTERS. 


Testament in the government and manage- 
ment of their church just where we use our 
book of laws and discipline. ” 

“Miss Hattie, we use the New Testament 
just the same as the Baptists and with the 
same authority. ” 

“Bro. Dunn, when you baptized those folks 
last Sunday what book did you read from?” 

‘ ‘Our book of discipline. ” 

“When you administered the Lord’s supper, 
what book did you read from?” 

“Our discipline.” 

'“When you received those persons into 
church, what book did you read from?” 

“Our discipline.” 

“When you had that little church trial 
what book did you use?” 

“Our book of discipline . ” 

“A Baptist always uses the New Testa- 
ment; a Methodist has no use for a Testament 
in his official acts.” 

“We get them in our church, Miss Hattie, 
all the same, and that is the important part.” 

“I don’t know whether we get them in or 
hung on, for membership in a Methodist 
church is an uncertain quantity. Take 
father for example. He has been steward, 
trustee, and member of the official board and 
never has been baptized.” 

‘ ‘Do you mean to say Bro. Gholston has 


TWO OLD LETTERS. 


115 


never been baptized? I’ll attend to it at 
once.” 

“That’s what I say. He joined 30 years 
ago and more, but would not be sprinkled 
and the preacher was not prepared to baptize 
him and the matter has been neglected. ’ ’ 

Mr. Dunn said no more about baptizing Mr. 
Gholston when he found he would not be 
sprinkled. Methodist preachers believe in 
immersion loudly with their mouths but 
manage never to do any of it. Self respect 
and consistency should lead them to oppose 
it openly. The dinner anouncement closed 
the investigation greatly to Mr. D. ’s relief. 


116 


TWO OLD LETTERS. 


My Awakening’. 

I dreamed I heard the suffering Saviour say 
To him who pierced him with a Roman dart, 
“Didst thou but know, there is a nearer way 
Unto my heart.” 

And straight the arrow of conviction flew 
Into my heart, and scales fell from my eyes, 
And in a moment I those secrets knew 
Hid from the wise. 

To love and not to hate; to give, not gain; 

To seek no more to rule, but to obey, 

And gladly for his sake to suffer pain: 

This is the way. 


—Alexander Small. 


CHAPTER XII. 


When George went aboard of the boat, Cap- 
tain Clank took in the entire situation from 
his old hat, old clothes, and old shoes, and met 
him with a hearty “hello old boy! I’m glad to 
see you!” that made him feel once more that 
the sunshine of loving fellowship and tender 
sympathy was not wholly excluded from 
human nature by the black clouds of 
crime and hard heartedness. 

Anticipating his penniless condition the 
captain said: 

“Make yourself at home Captain Carter, 
and it shall not cost you one cent to go clear 
to the end of our trip with us.” 

“I thank you very much Captain Clank, 


118 


TWO OLD LETTERS. 


and I shall try to show my appreciation for 
your kindness, for it is my purpose to go to 
the end of your run. ” 

Captian Clank was a shrewd man and 
understood human nature like an open book. 
He knew George personally and knew that so 
perfect a gentleman, as he, could not feel 
comfortable while “dead-heading” his way 
on the boat and especially at the table, and 
therefore, said, as the boat got well under 
way: 

“George, I’m especially glad to have you 
aboard on this trip for our clerk, Mr. 
Livingston, is new in the business and you 
can get him straightened out before we get 
to Cincinnati, and I’ll feel no anxiety about 
the business with you in the office. Come 
and I’ll introduce you to him. Mr. Living, 
ston, I want to give you a regular steam- 
boat ‘knock-down’ to my old friend, Capt. 
George Carter, who formerly clerked for 
us. He will help you on our way up, with 
the bills and other work of the office.” 

Livingston made the mistake that is com- 
mon to society in these latter days, viz. — 
that of judging a man by his clothes, and 
said to himself: 

“I don’t need the help of that tramp.” 

But when they began to check up bills, 
George could do four to his one. The 
other work of the office was done by him 


TWO OLD LETTERS. 


119 


with the same readiness and dispatch, so 
that about four days work for Livingston 
was finished in a little more than a half 
day. 

When Capt. Clank came around and found 
the work all up and the boys, as be called 
them, idle, he said: 

“Now George, I have one more job for you 
and then your time is all your own till we 
get to Cincinnati.” 

“All right Captain, what is it?” 

“I want you to beat old Crigley, the 
bar tender, three games of seven-up out of 
five for our usual boat stake. I’ll furnish 
the ‘chink.’ ” 

“You’ll have to excuse me, Captain. I 
never expect to play another game and I 
never intend to gamble on anything here- 
after. Do you remember the slight-of-hand 
man who got me just before I left the boat?’ 

“Yes, but haven’t you quit grieving over 
that five dollars yet?” 

“I have never cared for the money, but I 
have thought often of the pain it would give 
my mother to know that her boy had fallen 
low enough to gamble with a slight-of-hand 
tramp, after she and my father had denied 
themselves many of the comforts of life to 
educate me in a Christian college?” 

“Yes, but what are you to do with all 
your time on this long trip?” 


120 


TWO OLD LETTERS. 


“I’ll find use for it. When I was sick in 
New Orleans, Rev. Mr. Seymour gave me 
a Testament and I mean to memorize the 
‘sermon on the mount’ on this trip, and” 

“Oh yes! That’s the big sermon preached 
by Henry Ward Beecher,” interrupted the 
Captain. 

At this George smiled — laughed rather — 
in spite of his serious feelings a moment 
before, but before he could explain, Mr. 
Livingston, the clerk, (disposed to be very 
pert) broke in: 

“Oh you’re off, Captain, on your man. That 
is one of Mr. Spurgeon’s big sermons. I 
guess Mr. Carter aims to go to preaching 
when he gets back to Pennsylvania.” 

George made him feel the look he gave 
him and said: 

‘ ‘Preach or no preach, I do not think it 
necessary to the accomplishment even of a 
steam-boat clerk to be as ignorant as a 
Hottentot about books and preachers.” 

The boat made many stops to take on 
tobacco and other freight, so that the trip 
was a long and tedious one, but all this 
pleased George, for he dreaded the very 
thing he most desired — getting home. This 
is the peculiar effect of sin. 

While taking on a big lot of tobacco at 
Paducah, Ky., Mr. Gardner, a highly cul- 
tivated Baptist preacher and friend of Capt. 


TWO OLD LETTERS. 


121 


Clank, came aboard to go as far as Louis- 
ville. This proved to be Rev. W. W. Gard- 
ner of Kentucky, a man who rarely ever 
made a mistake in his judgment of men. 
He recognized in George Carter a high 
degree of culture combined with honor and 
soiled manhood, and at once became interested 
in him. When he found him studying the 
New Testament, the doctor became more 
concerned about him and they were com- 
panions almost at once. 

George put many questions to Dr. Gardner 
and among them the following: 

“Why do the Baptists not take the Lord’s 
supper with the Methodists?” 

“I will first explain and then give one 
verse of scripture that will settle that 
question forever. The Methodists are just 
as good people as the Baptists, and for sake 
of argument, I’ll say much better; but they 
have a law of their own make in the 
‘Discipline’ that admits to their membership, 
persons of any kind of moral character who 
simply desire ‘to flee the wrath to come’ and 
that too, without any profession of faith 
in Christ. 

Now if you will take that Testament and 
turn to I Corinthians 5: 11, you will find that 
God forbids his church, in plain English, to 
eat with the very class of persons that 
Methodists, by a law of their own make, 


122 


TWO OLD LETTERS. 


invite to the Lord’s supper in their organiza- 
tion. I Corinthians 5: 

11 “But now I have written unto you 
not to keep company, if any man that 
is called a brother be a fornicator, or 
covetous, or an idolater, or a railer, or 
drunkard, or an extortioner; with such 
an one no not to eat.” 

“I read that,” said George, “but I thought 
it meant a common social meal at home. ” 

“If we take that view,” said Mr. Gardner, 
“it makes it stronger than ever, for certainly 
they would not be invited to the communion 
together, when God forbade them to eat a 
social meal at the same table.” 

“I see your point, and it settles the 
question. That verse does the work. It 
could not have been a common meal, how- 
ever, for in that event most of the families 
would have been compelled to set two 
tables — one for those who were Christians 
and the other for the wicked persons who 
might chance to belong to the household. 

Further, Jesus ate common social meals 
with ‘publicans and sinners,’ but when he 
came to the sacred ordinance he was close 
about it. Luke 5; 

29 And Levi made him a great feast 
in his own house : and there was a great 


TWO OLD LETTERS. 


123 


company of publicans and of others 
that sat down with them. 

30 But their scribes and Pharisees 
murmured against his disciples, saying, 

Why do ye eat and drink with publi- 
cans and sinners? 

This shows that he made no distinction 
when at a social meal. 

There are many arguments and good ones 
but that one verse simply settles the ques- 
tion for all those who accept God’s word as 
authority, for it forbids mixed communion in 
so many words — ‘no not to eat.’ I said a 
little while ago Jesus was close when he came 
to the sacred ordinance. He did not invite 
his mother. He did not invite Joseph, who 
furnished him a tomb a day later. Jesus was 
acting on principle and not on sentiment. 
He was a “close communionist.” Judas 
took the supper because he was a member of 
“the body” and not because he was good. 

Joseph was good but was not invited 
because he was not a member of the body. 
Please read these: Luke 22: 

14 And when the hour was come, he 
sat down, and the twelve apostles with 
him. 

15 And he said unto them, With de- 
sire I have desired to eat this pass- 
over with you before I suffer: 

16 For I say unto you, I will not any 


124 


TWO OLD LETTERS. 


more eat thereof, until it be fulfilled 
in the kingdom of God. 

17 And he took the cup, and gave 
thanks, and said, Take this, and divide 
it among yourselves: 

18 For I say unto you, I will not drink 
of the fruit of the vine, until the 
kingdom of God shall come. 

19 If And he took bread, and gave 
thanks and broke it and gave unto 
them saying, This is my body which 
is given for you: this do in remem- 
brance of me. 

20 Likewise also the cup after supper 
saying, This cup is the new testament 
in my blood, which is shed for you. 

“You need not spend any more time on 
that. One verse settles it, when you find one 
like that — one that says it in so many words. 
Where did you say it was! I want to read it 
again.” 

Mr. Carter read the entire chapter, and 
you will find that the church is not to com- 
mune with its own members when they are 
out of order. I do not want to mislead 
you by quoting that one ( 11) verse. ’ ’ 

I Corinthians 5: 

It is reported commonly that there is 
fornication among -you, and such for- 
nication as is not so much as named 
among the Gentiles, that one should 
have his father’s wife. 


TWO OLD LETTERS. 


125 


2 And ye are puffed up, and have not 
rather mourned, that he that hath 
done this deed might be taken away 
from among you. 

3 For I verily, as absent in body, but 
present in spirit, have judged already, 
as though I were present, concerning 
him that hath so done this deed, 

4 In the name of our Lord Jesus 
Christ, when ye are gathered together 
and my spirit, with the power of our 
Lord Jesus Christ. 

5 To deliver such an one unto Satan 
for the destruction of the flesh, that 
the spirit may be saved in the day 
of the Lord Jesus. 

6 Your glorying is not good. Know 
ye not that a little leaven leaveneth 
the whole lump? 

7 Purge out therefore the old ieaven 
that ye may be a new lump, as ye are 
unleavened. For even Christ our pass- 
over is sacrificed for us. 

8 Therefore let us keep the feast not 
with old leaven, neither with the 
leaven of malice and wickedness; but 
with unleavened bread of sincerity and 
truth. 

9 I wrote unto you in an epistle not to 
company with fornicators. 

10 Yet not altogether with the forni- 
cators of this world, or with the cove- 
tous, or extortioners, or with idolaters; 
for them must ye needs go out of the 
world. 

11 But now I have written unio you 
not to keep company, if any man that 


126 


TWO OLD LETTERS. 


is called a brother be a fornicator, or 
covetous, or an idolater, or a railer, or 
a drunkard, or an extortioner; with 
such an one no not to eat. 

12 For what have I to do to judge 
them also that are without? do not ye 
judge them that are within? 

13 But them that are without God 
judge th. Therefore put away from 
among yourselves that wicked person. 

‘ ‘If it be urged that Methodists are not 
wicked I gladly grant it. They are good, 
but they have a law that they enacted them- 
selves by which this very class of persons 
mentioned in this chapter, is admitted to 
membership in their church, and to the 
Lord’s table if they are not members of the 
church, and God says to us, who have the 
New Testament only as our book of laws: 
‘With such an one no not to eat.” 

“Mr. Gardner, that chapter and especially 
that eleventh verse is enough. Come, we 
will go to dinner. Here, put this little 
leaflet in your book before we go. It may 
help you. Baptists believe in this order: 

1. Conversion — one must be saved. 

2. Membership — be identified with his 
people. — Church. 


TWO OLD LETTERS. 


127 


3. Communion — observe the ordinance. 

Repentance 

Matthew 3 : 2. Matthew 4 : 17. Acts 2 : 38. 
Acts 3 : 19. 

Confession 

Matthew 10 : 32. Luke 12 : 8. Romans 10 : 9. 


Conversion 

Acts 2 : 41. Acts 4 : 4. Acts 8 : 12. Acts 13 : 43. 

§ 

Sin is taken away 

2 Corinthians 5 : 21. 1 John 1 : 9. Isaiah 1 : 18. 
Psalm 103 : 12. 

I know S am saved 

John 5 : 24. Romans 8:1. I John 3 : 14. 
I John 5 : 1-3. 


128 


TWO OLD LETTERS 


The Joy of God. 

I thank Thee, too, that Thou hast made 
Joy to abound; 

So many gentle thoughts and deeds 
Oircling us round, 

That in the darkest spot of earth 
Some love is found. 

I thank Thee more that all our joy 
Is touched vtith pain; 

That shadows fall on brightest hours. 
That thorns remain; 

So that earth’s bliss may be our guide, 
And not our chain. 

For Thou, Who knowest, Lord, how soon 
Our weak heart clings, 

Hast given us joys tender and true, 

But all with wings— 

So that we see, gleaming on high, 

Divine things. 


A. Proctor. 


CHAPTER XIII. 

When George arrived in Cincinnati, he 
hurried to the post office to see the result of 
the letter to his father, and there he found 
one awaiting his call, containing a check and 
reading as follows: 

My dear boy: — Our hearts are too full of 
joy at hearing from you to write a letter. 
Do not mention your misfortunes; do not 
mention your mistakes; simply come to 
us and all will be well. Enclosed find 
check for amount mentioned and feel, my 
boy, that this is the privilege of my life. 

W. Jennings Carter. 

When George went to get the money from 
the bank they scrutinized his old clothes and 
required unusual evidence that he was the 

<») 


130 


TWO OLD LETTERS. 


proper person. He had to go to the boat 
and get Capt. Clank to identify him. Seeing 
that his honesty was questioned hurt him, 
but he said: “It’s just. I brought it all on 
myself. Yes, it ‘biteth like a serpent and 
stingeth like an adder,’ and I had just as well 
make up my mind to endure the excruciating 
pain of that awful bite till I get back on to 
the plane of my original manhood from which 
I have so fallen. Nothing but humiliation 
awaits me now till I have retraced my steps 
and established myself in society once more.” 
With these thoughts writhing and squirming 
in his soul like a nest of serpents hissing and 
spitting venom in all directions, he bade Capt. 
Clank good-bye and started in haste to catch 
the train. 

His humiliation was not a whit behind his 
anticipations, for he had scarcely entered the 
car when he saw his old friend, Lieut. Ross, 
well dressed, comfortably seated, reading the 
latest novel. He trembled with fear and 
shame at the thought of being recognized 
but this was all needless for his rags and 
general appearance were a complete disguise 
to those who had known him in better days. 
Passing forward, he sought a seat in the 
second class car and sat alone “with his 
thoughts” in silence. His whole life passed 
before his mind’s eye in one panorama. As 
he gazed at one part of the picture, he was 


TWO OLD LETTERS. 


131 


absorbed to the exclusion of every other 
memory in his existence and for a moment 
laughed, As the panorama moved on, his 
early youth and young manhood dissolved 
out of the picture leaving an expression of 
woe on his face that seemed to call on the 
ocean to gather all of its waves into one 
groan and utter it — “long, loud, deep, pierc- 
ing, dolorous, immense.” As the tears 
came to his relief he began to understand as 
never before those lines of Pollok: 

* * * * “Look back, and one 

Behold, who would not give her tears for all 
The smiles that dance about the cheek of Mirth.” 

When the unseen fingers of memory turned 
to view the pages of his recent dark exper- 
iences, he became angry at his own thoughts 
disgusted with life and found himself uncon- 
sciously fingering at the window to raise it 
and jump through while the train was in 
motion and there put an end to his life which 
had been so full of disappointment. 

A blessed Providence it was that led him 
to memorize the “Sermon on the Mount” 
when he was on board the boat, for now it 
came to him as the sheet-anchor of his life, 
and he began to recite it to himself as he 
gazed aimlessly from the window. No one 
but he could have written what appears later 
in this work on the ‘ ‘wonders of the soul. ’ ’ 


132 


TWO OLD LETTERS. 


The very fact that he had to hide away in 
his rags from those who once respected him 
and appreciated his companionship was 
enough to crush his very soul as he sat there 
in a dark corner of a second class’ car with 
rough men chewing, smoking, swearing all 
around. He was in torment. 

When God assigns all wickedness, and 
wicked people, to one place in this universe, 
where each will feel absolutely alone on 
account of the selfishness and indifference of 
all others, and separates all good from that 
place, there you find hell. George was in it 
for the time. The religion of our Saviour is 
specifically for this life, and the man or 
woman who disregards its claims will soon 
get a foretaste of what eternal death will be. 

George awoke from his painful reverie at 
the announcement of the station for which he 
was ticketed and the horrid nightmare, as it 
were, that had haunted his soul for hours 
past, now gave place to an awful ordeal — 
meeting the home folks — which under other 
circumstances would have been an indescrib- 
able joy. 

It is the office of sin to transform pleasur- 
able experiences into cups of burning gall for 
“whatsoever a man soweth that shall he 
also reap. ” 

Fortunately the train arrived a little late, 
10:30, and but few people were there, so he 


TWO OLD LETTERS. 


133 


dropped off on the side of the car away from 
the depot and walked behind an old ware- 
house till the train and people were gone; 
then he made up a little speech to recite 
when he got home, and started in that 
direction. It was eleven o’clock by this 
time and the full moon had risen high in the 
heavens revealing the frosted leaves and 
faded flowers, tit emblems of his blasted 
hopes and aspirations. A bright lamp could 
be seen here and there shining through the 
windows and the step of a belated business 
man could be heard on the side walk. To 
avoid meeting any one whom he might know, 
he concluded to go around through the back 
lots and make his way home unobserved; 
but before he was aware he found himself in 
ragweeds up to his chin all dripping with 
dew and before he could reach the street he 
had added to his ragged clothes a bedrabbled 
appearance that hardly admits of description. 

Everything that under other circumstances 
would have furnished pleasure now gave him 
intense pain. Every step brought new 
torture to his soul. As he passed Mrs. 
Simpson’s, he saw in the corner of the 
“spring lot, ” as they called it, the remains 
of an old swing on a wide-spreading oak in 
the shade of which he had played in his 
child-hood. Laura Simpson, his sister and 
he used to swing on that very old wooden 


134 


TWO OLD LETTERS, 


swing when he was a youth, joyous and 
happy, but “Oh wretched man that I am” 
properly describes him now. A few steps 
further and the depressing stillness was 
broken by the barking of their old family 
watch dog and the familiar tinkle of his 
father’s sheep bell as the flock hunted here 
and there for the few remaining sprigs of 
green grass. He could endure the strain 
no longer without some sort of relief, so he 
threw his old satchel down in the shadow of 
the tree which had been used, since he was a 
child, as a gate post at the entrance to the 
sheep pasture, fell upon it and poured out 
his feelings in the bitterest anguish, giving 
vent to the conflicting emotions accumulat- 
ing in his breast at every step towards that 
desirable, yet awful, moment when he must 
meet the loved ones. He arose and walked 
slowly to the corner of the garden where he 
stopped a moment in the shade of the hedge 
bushes to further prepare his mind for the 
meeting, but here as else where, everything 
reminded him of better days and seemed to 
mock at his folly. 

The old barn, neglected since the erection 
of the new, stood across the lane from the 
garden. The snows of the previous winter 
had broken in the roof; the sheds were 
dilapidated; tall weeds had grown up around 
it and the unseen hand of neglect had spread 


TWO OLD LETTERS. 


135 


the mantle of ruin over all. The gentle rays 
of the full moon crept in through the rubbish 
making visible the old ox yoke, harrow, cane 
mill, and worn out plows which had given 
place to new ones; and every thing there had 
memories of past pleasure clustering about 
it, but now they constitute a “thorn in the 
side,” of his present experience as his whole 
life seems to crowd into the sighs and groans 
of the moment. 

Passing to the front gate he saw a light in 
his mother’s room (for they remained up 
every night till after train time in hope of 
his coming) and began to adjust his old 
clothes for that final climax of all that was 
trying on proud manhood. While he stood 
there trimming some rags from his tattered 
coat sleeve, the dog set up a furious barking 
which called his father to the door, thus 
relieving him of the painful task of hailing 
from the gate, for even the dog could not 
recognize him in his rags and he was afraid 
to enter the home of his childhood without 
protection against the once friendly old 
Towser. He forgot all that nice little speech 
he had studied out with which to introduce 
himself and after a moment’s struggle said: 

“Do you suppose that fool dog would bite 
me?” 

His voice was so changed and the fact that 
he stood at the gate hesitating to enter, and 


186 


TWO OLD LETTERS. 


it being so long after the train had come and 
gone, misled Mr. Carter, and not thinking it 
was his dear boy, he coolly replied : 

“I don’t know. That depends on whom 
you are.'’ 

“My name was George Carter when I left 
here, but I have so disgraced it I can hardly 
ask protection in the home where I obtained 
it as an honorable heritage. ” 

Before he had finished the above his father 
was at his side with every evidence of pater- 
nal love and forgiveness, welcomed him in 
and led him up the broad walk to the front 
door. As he entered the magnificent hall he 
felt so ashamed of his old satchel filled with 
ragged clothes, that he set it down behind 
the hat rack and entered his mother’s room 
empty handed. His mother and sister em- 
braced him and wept over him but made as 
if, they did not observe his ragged and 
bedrabbled appearance. 


CHAPTER XIV. 


The hallowed influence of home, good 
clothes and a contented mind made a new 
man out of George in less than a week so that 
he appeared at church the following Sunday 
to begin life all over again. He joined a 
class in the Sunday school and showed such 
knowledge and ready use of scripture that 
all were surprised, for he had an acquisitive 
mind and a retentive memory, both of which 
he had employed constantly of late to keep 
from dwelling on his misfortunes. 

Dr. Walker, the pastor, had gotten an 
inkling that there was a piece of peculiar 
history in the young man’s life, and called 
at the Carter residence Monday forenoon as 


138 


TWO OLD LETTERS. 


much out of curiosity as a desire to do good, 
but as George had gone to work with his 
father, who had established a large business 
in farming implements in the town, the 
pastor failed to see him, and by pressing in- 
vitation remained to dinner so as to have a 
talk with the young man and “rope him in. ” 

“Is your son a member of the church?” 
said Mr. Walker. 

“No, I’m sorry to say he is not.” 

“Well, sister Carter, now is our time to 
get him in while everything seems new to 
him at home. ” 

“Yes, but my son does not profess to be 
a converted man at all. ” 

“That makes no difference; we have a law 
in our discipline by which we take them in 
without regeneration. Besides, if you wait 
for him to be converted he is liable to go off 
and join some other denomination.” 

“Mr. Walker, I would rather see George 
join any denomination a converted man, than 
to get him into the Methodist church 
unsaved.” 

“Was he baptized in infancy?” 

“No. We had three very intelligent 
pastors, and each one gave Mr. Carter a 
different reason for sprinkling children. 
Then he asked what the New Testament 
said about it, and upon being told that it was 
not spoken of at all in the scriptures, he 


TWO OLD LETTERS. 


139 


declared that our baby boy should not be 
sprinkled. Our other children were 
sprinkled.” 

“Don’t you think if you had done your 
duty by him while an infant, all this trouble, 
I understand you’ve had, would have been 
avoided?” 

Mrs. Carter showed a little resentment 
at this imputation and said: 

‘ ‘I will answer your question by asking 
you two: 

(1) “Did you have your son Willie 
sprinkled? 

“Yes, I’ve had all my children baptized 
while infants, and dedicated to God.” 

(2) “Where is Willie? I’d ask you some 
questions about your other boys and your 
daughter but I have more respect for your 
feelings than you had for mine. ” 

This was a terrible blow, for Wm. Walker 
jr., was employed, because of his litness for 
the place, as bar tender and overseer of an 
awful dirty gambling “den,” and the other 
boys were worthless. However, this war of 
words was cut short by the coming of George 
and his father to dinner, and in a few mom- 
ents all were seated at the table engaged in a 
more pleasant conversation and a more pleas- 
ant exercise — eating. 

For once the preacher felt like h« had been 
completely beaten and he began to study 


140 


TWO OLD LETTERS. 


some plan to get even. Accordingly, dinner 
being over, he walked down to the ware- 
house where George was checking out a car 
load of agricultural implements and watched 
his opportunity to talk with him about join- 
ing the church, determined to get him in 
before he had time to properly compose him- 
self under the new environments. At the first 
opportunity, he presented the matter, sawing 
on the old string about how much he 
(George) loved his mother and how she loved 
him — and urged him to join at once. Then 
he “soft-soaped” him a little, telling him 
how much his splendid talents and culture 
were needed in the church and what a useful 
man he would be in official positions. When 
he was through George told him he was 
interested and hoped to join the church some 
time but certainly never from any of the 
motives he had mentioned. “Of course I 
love my mother and she loves me, but that 
would be a very unworthy motive for joining 
the church and he drew out the Testament 
Dr. Seymour had given him while sick in 
New Orleans, and read, Mat. 10: 

37 He that loveth father or mother 
more than me is not worthy of me: and 
he that loveth son or daughter more 
than me is not worthy of me. 

38 And he that taketh not his cross, 
and followeth after me, is not worthy 
of me. 


TWO OLD LETTERS. 


141 


“The other two motives you mention for 
my joining the church, viz., — my talents, and 
qualifications for official positions are so 
totally unworthy as not to need a reply,” 
said George with emphasis. 

“I have two reasons, Dr. Walker, that 
would, either of them, prevent me from 
joining the church: 

(1 ) I am not a converted man. 

(2) I am not sure I believe like the Metho- 
dist. In fact, I’m sure I do not on some 
points.” 

“Oh well, the Methodist church is broad in 
its notion of membership and will take you 
in all right just as you are. ” 

“That’s one of the very things I object to. 
It is so ‘broad’ that membership in it don’t 
stand for anything. When you tell me that 
a man is a Methodist I can form no idea, 
from that, what he believes and what he is.” 

“Methodism stands for faith in *God and a 
pious life, and these are the all important 
things” said the preacher. 

“Now Dr. Walker, don’t you see that 
membership in your church don’t mean faith 
and piety, for you have just urged me to join, 
knowing that I have neither. I do not be- 
lieve any man ought to join the church until 
he becomes a believer in the Lord Jesus 
Christ — a child of God. I’m a Baptist that 
far. ”* 

*At that time the Methodist took them in on six months’ 
probation. 


142 


TWO OLD LETTERS. 


“Are not the Methodists good, pious, faith- 
ful people?” 

“Certainly. I could never think otherwise 
after witnessing the life of my parents. Of 
course they are pious, but they could be 
members in a Methodist church just as well if 
they were not, so that membership in your 
church does not signify piety at all, and it 
does not signify any particular belief, for 
you boast that your church is ‘broad’ enough 
to take people of any and all religious 
opinions.” 

When you tell me a certain man is a 
member of the Baptist church, I at once know 
certain things about him. 

1. He believes in the power of the local 
organization to govern its own affairs. 

2. He believes in salvation before mem- 
bership and that baptism comes right 
between salvation and membership. 

3. He believes that all ecclesiastical 
power is in the hands of the membership and 
not in the hands of the ministers or higher 
court. — There is no higher court. 

4. He believes in one act for baptism 
(not three) and will not practice any other to 
get a member. 

5. He believes that the Lord’s supper is a 
church ordinance and should be restricted to 


TWO OLD LETTERS. 


143 


baptized believers — church members. His 
membership stands for all this and more. 
Methodists would take him if he believed all 
of this, any part of it, or none at all, and 
they boast of this very broadness that makes 
membership mean nothing.” 

“Captain Carter, how came you so well 
posted on these doctrines? I thought you 
had been otherwise engaged than studying 
church questions for nearly two years, at 
least.” 

“A youug Baptist preacher by the name of 
Seymour in New Orleans, when I was sick, 
gave me the Testament from which I read a 
little recently, and two small tracts. These 
gave me a start and I’m pushing the in- 
vestigation on, and I wish to ask you this 
question : 

Out of what organization did the Methodist 
church come?” 

“Out of the church of England, of course. ” 

“What organization did the church of 
England ( Episcopal ) come ou fc of ?” 

“The Roman Catholic.” 

“Where did the Roman Catholic church 
come from ?’ ’ 

“Now you have reached a more difficult 
question, or, rather, one requiring a more 
elaborate answer. I see you have been using 
that Testament lately. Please turn and 
read, Acts 20: 28-30. 


144 


TWO OLD LETTERS. 


28 Take heed therefore unto your 
selves, and to all the flock, over the 
which the Holy Ghost hath made you 
overseers, to feed the church of God, 
which he hath purchased with his own 
blood. 

29 For I know this, that after my de- 
parting shall grievous wolves enter in 
among you, not sparing the flock. 

30 Also of your own selves shall men 
arise, speaking preverse things, to draw 
away disciples after them. 

‘•That’s good. I see a point in that I had not 
discovered before, ” said George. 

“Before I begin to explain where and how 
the Catholic church came about, turn and 
read:” I Tim. 3: 

1 Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, 
that in the latter times some shall de- 
part from the faith, giving heed to se* 
ducing spirits, and doctrines of devils; 

2 Speaking lies in hypocrisy; having 
their conscience seared with a hot iron; 

3 Forbidding to marry, and com- 
manding to abstain from meats, which 
God hath created to be received with 
thanksgiving of them which believe 
and know the truth. 

II Tim. 4: 

1 I charge thee therefore before God, 
and the Lord Jesus Christ, who shall 


TWO OLD LETTERS. 


145 


judge the quick and the dead at his ap- 
pearing and his kingdom; 

2 Preach the word; be instant in 
season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, 
exhort with all longsuffering and doc- 
trine. 

3 For the time will come when they 
will not endure sound doctrine; but 
after their own lusts shall they heap to 
themselves teachers, having itching 
ears; 

4 And they shall turn away their ears 
from the truth, and shall be turned 
unto fables. 

“The church instituted by our Lord was 
all right for the common people, but the elite 
of that day wanted something that had more 
show about it, and for the sake of getting 
those rich people to join, many of the church 
members ‘departed from the faith’ and 
organized for a more showy worship. They 
got some features of the Jewish worship, and 
some of the Pagan and combined them in a 
sort of general compromise, changing the 
powers of the ministry and thus came about 
the Roman Catholic Church.” 

“The Catholic church, if I understand 
you, is a mixture of Paganism, Judaism and 
Christianity,” said George. 

“That’s correct.” 

“Out of that came the Episcopal church.’ * 

“That’s correct.” 

(10) 


146 


TWO OLD LETTERS. 


“Out of the Episcopal came the Methodist 
church.” 

“Yes, Mr. Wesley organized some societies 
in the Episcopal church which afterward 
grew into the Methodist church. If we were 
in my library, I could give you abundant 
historical evidence of these facts; and how 
God blessed these societies ’til they develop- 
ed into our present form. ” 

“Captain, had it ever occurred to you that 
you’re a converted man already? No man 
has all this interest without conversion. ” 
“Bro. Walker, I’m sure the Holy Spirit is 
doing a work in my heart and I have a feel- 
ing of submission to God, but I have studied 
to know what conversion is and am sure I 
am not converted. Listen while I read, for 
I am much interested of late, in what the 
New Testament says on all these subjects: 

19 If Repent ye therefore, and be 
converted, that your sins may be blot- 
ted out, when the times of refreshing 
shall come from the presence of the 
Lord. 

I have been interested for quite a while, 
and on board the boat coming home a Baptist 
preacher by the name of Gardner, gave me 
this list of references and I have studied it 
until I know just where I stand. ” 


TWO OLD LETTERS. 


147 


Repentance 

Matthew 3 : 2. Matthew 4 : 17. Acts 2 : 38. 
Acts 3 : 19. 

Confession 

Matthew 10 : 32. Luke 12 : 8. Romans 10 : 9. 

Conversion 

Acts 2 : 41. Acts 4 : 4. Acts 8:12. Acts 
13 : 43. 

Sin is taken away 

2 Corinthians 5 : 21. I John I : 9. Isaiah 
I : 18. Psalm 103 : 12. 

I know I am saved 

John 5 : 24. Romans 8:1. I John 3 : 14. 
I John 5 : 1-3. 

Now I will read you the verse that describes 
my condition and also the condition of 
thousands who join the church. They never 
confess Christ. They sit there like a mummy 
and let the preacher confess for them. 
John 12: 


42 If Nevertheless among the chief 
rulers also many believed on him; but 


148 


TWO OLD LETTERS. 


because of the Pharisees they did not 
confess him, lest they should be put 
out of the synagogue: 

43 For they loved the praise of men 
more than the praise of God. 

I ‘believe on him’ but for the life of me I 
can’t get up to the point of confessing him 
and until I do I know he will not confess me. 
Listen at these verses. Mat. 10: 

32 Whosoever therefore shall -confess 
me before men , him will I confess also 
before my Fatter which is in heaven. 

33 But whosoever shall deny me be- 
fore men, him will I also deny before 
my Father which is in heaven. 

Dr. Walker changed his mind about George 
at least a half dozen times during the con- 
versation and finally went home thoroughly 
impressed that he was an earnest, honest, 
intelligent seeker after truth. 

Later he said that one New Testament 
falling into young Carter’s hands in New 
Orleans, had almost destroyed the usefulness 
of the entire Carter family in the Methodist 
church. They were questioning the author- 
ity and benefit of infant baptism, and talking 
about the different forms of church govern- 
ment and modes of baptism, and all those 
things that spoil a Methodist. They had 
Testaments in the home to be sure, but they 


TWO OLD LETTERS. 


149 


had never thought of using them as a book of 
law and discipline for the church. They had 
accepted the book of laws made by their 
preachers and had never thought of settling 
doctrinal questions by the New Testament. 
It is true that in all official work a Methodist 
officer or preacher has no sort of use for a 
New Testament. He uses a book of laws 
made by the preachers. 


150 


TWO OLD LETTERS. 


Live Nobly. 


I will make use of life, 

Full use, best use. Let come what will, 
’Tls life, and life my cup shall fill, 

Or sweet, or bitter be the draught. 

Boots not, but how cup is quaffed, 

What but of aloes or sweet wine 
Doth enter in, becometh mine. 

From this, my God-appointed fate, 

What good shall I appropriate? 

Be such my spirit’s enquiry; 

God fixed my lot— but left me free! 

Out of all stress and strife, 

Out of all disappointments, pain, 

What deathless profit shall I gain? 

If sorrow cometh, shall it slay? 

Or shall I bear a song away ! 

When wave and tide against me lift, 

Shall I still steer my course of drift? 

Soul, nerve thyself to such as these 
Deep problems; sacred destinies! 

It matters not what fate may give; 

The best is thine— to nobly live! 

John Buchham. 


CHAPTER XV. 


Dr. Walker, the pastor, was responsible 
more than anyone else for giving George a 
favorable place in public opinion, so that in a 
short time he was a part of everything that 
was going on in society. There were many 
members of his company in the place and 
they could truthfully say everything in his 
favor that goes to make up a coveted record. 
He had been offered a Colonel’s commission, 
but declined it rather than leave the “boys” 
who elected him Captain when they first 
started out. In spite of all the nice things 
that were being said by those who never 
dreamed of his dissipation, there was a dark 
spot in his soul — those days of crime; and, 
inspite of pleasurable surroundings, there 


152 


TWO OLD LETTERS. 


was a sad spot in his heart — his love affair 
with Hattie Gholston. 

In a revival that came in a few weeks he 
reached the point where he could stand up 
and “confess” Christ before man, and while 
doing so he confessed his fall, drunkeness 
and gambling, before the church and thereby- 
removed the dark place out of his experience, 
but the sad spot remained . 

By this time, Dr. Walker had become 
thoroughly infatuated with him, and urged 
him to prepare the best paper he was capable 
of, to be read before the young people’s 
meeting which had been organized as a 
result of the revival. Finding that “no” 
would not be accepted as an answer, he pre- 
pared a peculiar paper which had a wonderful 
effect on the audience. The effect however 
was mainly due to the manner in which he 
read it, for an incident occurred just before 
starting from home that put George in a con- 
dition of mind that no words will describe, 
and here we leave the reader to his own 
imagination. While his sister, Della was 
dressing she stumbled onto “two old let- 
ters” that had been in her dresser nearly 
two years and came running and exclaimed: 

“Oh brother! here are two letters I got out 
of the office about two years ago and did not 
know where you were. I just now found 
them. ’ ’ 


TWO OLD LETTERS. 


153 


As he took them from her hand and re- 
cognized. the familiar hand writing of Hattie 
Gholston, his pale face was clothed with 
an expression of mingled horror, delight, 
and fear that seemed calculated to frighten 
the darkness of the grave. His sister, ob- 
serving his agitation, asked: 

“What on earth is the matter with you?” 

When he recovered himself so that he 
could speak, he said: 

‘ ‘The failure to get these cost me all the 
shame and disgrace I have suffered and may 
cost me a life time of sadness yet.” 

Before opening them, his keen eye had 
caught from the post mark that they were 
written after the date on which he had seen 
the notice of what he supposed, beyond 
mistake, to be Hattie’s marriage. The later 
one read: 

ville, Florida, Nov. 1, 1866. 

Dear George: 

I wrote you just before leaving Missis- 
sippi but the mails are so uncertain, I fear 
you did not get it. I am anxious at least to 
know how you came out of this awful bloody 
war. 

As ever yours, 

Hattie. 

Imagine if you can the condition of mind 
he was in to read a paper already full of fiery 
sentiment, but he read the following: — 


154 


TWO OLD LETTERS. 


THE WONDERS OF A SOUL. 


We know very little of the soul, and that 
little was ascertained by studying ourselves; 
hence what we say is likely to appear ego- 
tistical and selfish. 

I cannot know what a sacrifice is being 
made on the altar of your being, sending its 
black smoke up through the chambers of the 
soul to becloud the countenance, and I may 
misunderstand and misjudge you right at the 
point where I should, and would otherwise, 
worship at the shrine of your manhood. 

Your experience teaches me nothing. I 
must learn from the operations of my own 
soul, at the risk of being regarded selfish and 
egotistical. 

What is this tugging at my heart that 
makes my actions appear extreme to others, 
and my thoughts unreasonable to myself? 
It is that noble sentiment of the soul that 
blazes up when memory unpacks its sacred 
relics and discloses the faces — smiles — of 
loved ones. 

“It is only a love of bygone season; 

A senseless folly that mocked at me, 

A reckless passion that lacked all reason ; 

So I killed it and hid it where none could see. ” 

No! you did not kill it; a thing thus connect- 
ed with the soul knows no death. Whether 
we wish it or not we go on thinking, and as 
we think, we feel and our feelings divide into 
two great streams, namely: — 

Joy, rippling along over the pebbles of 
brightness until it loses itself in the “Sea of 

The poetry is my own selection. 


TWO OLD LETTERS. 


155 


Glass” before the Great White Throne; and 
sorrow, murmuring through the shadows of 
existence, “Not my will, but Thine be done.” 
And thus it is that thoughts clothed in sun- 
shine and thoughts clothed in shadow, chase 
each other through the halls and corridors 
of the soul, as if they would decide by a game 
of hide-and-seek, which, light or darkness, 
shall occupy the citadel of being. 

It is the mystery of a soul; that is all — a 
soul with infinite capacity for joy or sorrow, 
making its own Heaven and heating its own 
Hell. 

What am I anyhow? Once I thought I 
knew myself well enough to make my 
thoughts and feelings, desires and conclusions, 
standards for the actions of others, but now, 
as I learn more, I am so ignorant of myself 
as to beg one to lead me by the hand in spite 
of Shakespeare’s wholesome instruction: — 

“Know thyself, and it will follow as the 
night the da}?-, that thou cannot be false to 
any man.” 

I must know something of myself, and yet 
as I learn, my ignorance becomes distress- 
ingly burdensome and unpleasant; but I am 
here confronted by these unchosen conditions 
which connect me with my fellows in such 
a way as to make me a part of “One stup- 
endous whole, whose body nature is and God 
the soul,” and, therefore, I must study my 
own Psychological makeup in spite of the 
discouraging magnitude of the subject. 

I am such a small part of the “stupendous 
whole” that circumstances over which I have 
no control, manufacture experience for me, 
regardless of purpose or will on my part, so 


156 


TWO OLD LETTERS. 


that I have very little to do with myself 
after all, and I drift on to the conclusion that 
I am nothing — nothing — and yet I am here 
to exist while eternity endures — nothing! 
and yet I can have a friend and these re- 
lations are as permanent as God’s throne. I 
can be more to one part of this “stupendous 
whole” than another, and one part is more to 
me than another, or all others ; and yet I 
must helplessly draw my part of the joys 
and sorrows from the great storehouse of 
feeling made up of the experience of man- 
kind. 

I am “My Brother’s Keeper” and cannot 
separate myself from his experience. There 
is a mutual dependence which neither of us 
can avoid. Everything I do, everything I 
say, influences someone, and I in turn, am 
alike influenced. Our personality is measur- 
ed by infinite smallness, and yet our identity 
cannot be hidden in the boundless ocean of 
Eternity. 

The unit “One” is a small thing, and yet it 
is the basis of calculation in the greatest 
porblems known to this universe; and, 
after all of my discouraging smallness, I am 
a unit and God will get me into the calcula- 
tion just where I belong in order to obtain 
a correct solution of the great problem 
of human existence in time and eternity. 
We have very little to do with ourselves, 
and yet immeasurable interests depend upon 
how that little is done. We have bodies and 
we have souls; we made neither and it is 
doubtful if we choose conditions for either. 
When we feel ourselves making a choice, 
after all may we not be simply accepting a 


TWO OLD LETTERS. 


157 


more favorable suggestion of circumstances? 
Both body and soul yield pleasure and pain, 
joy and sorrow, and these are only opposite 
ends of the same experience, so that it is 
literally true — 

“Man is a pendulum vibrating between a 
smile and a tear,” and “Black sin is often 
white truth That missed its way and wander- 
ed off in paths not understood; twin-born I 
hold great evil and good.” If anything is 
superlatively enjoyable, the thought of 
losing it shades our pleasure, and the final 
loss of it is pain. 

“There’s uever a dream that’s happy 
But the waking makes us sad; 

There’s never a dream of sorrow 
But the waking makes us glad.” 

A friendship grows into a sacred tenderness 
and becomes very enjoyable, then an element 
of sorrow is introduced which makes it pain- 
fully sweet by revealing noble traits of 
character in our friend which before were 
hidden from view. The whole is like a 
beautiful day losing itself in the soft twilight 
which as it deepens into night reveals the 
beauties of a higher world than this — glories 
which must have remained unknown had not 
the gentle touch of night pushed aside the 
day to disclose its blazing splendors. 

We see in our friends something to enjoy 
and we are happy in their society because 
they are friends, but ‘ ‘one stroke of sorrow 
makes the whole world akin” by revealing 
common qualities — good and bad— and mu- 
tual interests which form the basis — philoso- 
phical basis — of that universal love contem- 
plated in the second commandment — “Thou 


158 


TWO OLD LETTERS. 


shalt love thy neighbor as thyself.” This is 
the higher world in human experience which 
can only be revealed by sorrow in some 
fashion; hence sorrow is not an enemy but a 
friend of mankind. When sorrow like a 
crown of thorns is pressed down on the 
tender brow of a suffering friendship, wring- 
ing the cry of humble submission from the 
very heart of true manhood and woman- 
hood: “There is only one course left for me;” 
“My heart cries for something different.;” 
“I make the sacrifice for duty’s sake;” “It 
grieves me to say it;” “Only it must be so” 
— and other similar expressions from bleed- 
ing hearts, there must be, there is compen- 
sation, for out of the grave of a crucified and 
buried friendship will arise the beautiful 
form of an everlasting love, proven by the 
pangs of death and tried by the horrors of 
the grave, to preside over the mutual interests 
of such friends forever! Such was the 
happy issue of the tried friendship of Sept- 
emius and Alcander. 

All of this is a natural consequence, for 
when a high and holy friendship is to be 
sacrificed it is because a higher and holier 
sentiment inspires the action, and when its 
quivering form lies dying on the altar of duty, 
love ministers to the aching hearts whisper- 
ing “Peace be Still.” 

It is a wonderful peculiarity of the soul 
that to gain it must give, and to have much 
of any quality it must make large sacrifices 
of the same. It follows, therefore, that 
selfishness is starvation to the soul; yea! 
more. It is a ruthless iconoclast, stealing 
through the chambers of being and smashing 


TWO OLD LETTERS. 


159 


to pieces the symmetrical creations of 
thought ornamenting the sacred precincts of 
God’s dwelling place in man. Cut a soul off 
from loving fellowship with its kind and it 
is dead , and eternal death means no more 
than the continuation of this condition for- 
ever and ever. 

When a psychological volcano bursts from 
the depths of being and pours the lava of 
fiery sentiment out into our experience, our 
feelings break away from the grasp of reason 
like a blazing comet, tearing loose from the 
grip of gravitation and plung around in 
the dark realm of passion until an irrepar- 
able wreck called a suicide changes the 
environments of the soul. 

In our calm moments we speak of suicide 
as a crime, and it is a crime , but he who criti- 
cizes the miserable wretch so severely, shows 
how little he knows of the heights and 
depths and capacity for suffering of a soul. 
Dante’s Inferno, pictures the lost soul seeking 
death and finding it not — (bad case when a 
failure to find death overwhelmes with disap- 
pointment)— and in its effort to find death in- 
cidentally destroys the body. 

The mind’s eye is not on the destruction of 
the body but on the annihilation of being, 
and, like a man starving for water, while 
feeling in the dark for it, upsets the vessel 
containing it and perishes of thirst. 
The soul reaching out for relief upsets the 
vessel containing its only hope and spends 
an eternity in despair as a result of the ac- 
cident. Accident! Shall I say accident? 
Yes — one of incalculable importance that 
happened while the soul was making a swing 


160 


TWO OLD LETTERS. 


around the infinite circle of being, seeking 
some opening through which it could escape 
the responsibility of existence, and those who 
criticise the act so freely have not crossed 
the threshold of their own being to that 
boundless ocean of thought where the waves 
of passion dash against the feet of imagina- 
tion as it stands gazing into “Fields of 
desert gloom, immense where gravitation 
shifting turns the other way and to some 
dread, unknown, infernal, centre downward 
weighs. ” The ideal region of unnatural 
things contains no phantastic distortions 
equal to those of a human soul when it 
reaches that condition in which it covets 
death — annihilation. 

The human soul is the battle ground on 
which all the struggle between right and 
wrong occurs; and when Hell sends its dark 
battalions into this field to do battle for error 
to be met in deadly conflict, as it were, by 
the shining cohorts of angels who encamp 
around about them that fear Him, we are 
not surprised at the agitation, extreme con- 
duct and the apparent failure of the millions 
of our race 

Above the plane on which the soul moves 
there is no wrong, no depravity, and below 
it there is no moral responsibility; hence no 
right, no wrong. It is only in the soul that 
these awful conflicts rage and scatters our 
hopes of earthly happiness on the rock- 
bound shores of eternity in drifts of wreck- 
age wild and formless, but hidden from view 
by a friendly darkness except when a flash of 
lightning from the psychological storm cloud 
above our heads reveals the irreparable ruin. 


TWO OLD LETTERS. 


161 


But it is consoling to know that even after 
hope is dead to live no more, the greatest of 
the three Graces — Love can transfigure 
the wild waste of the soul and out of the 
tangled wreck bring order and beauty. Love 
is greater than hope for while “Hope ends in 
fruition, ” love bids defiance to the lapse of 
time and measures arms with eternity. 


(U) 


162 


TWO OLD LETTERS, 


The Land of the Living. 

Where is the land of the living? 

Is it here where the faces shine, 

Where the crowd is pressing together, 

And the hope of the world is mine; 

Where the pulsing noise of the city 
Is heard like a mighty sea- 
ls this the land of the living, 

Where God will be good to me? 

But this is the land of the dying! 

I stand so oft at the grave; 

The angel of death is the reaper, 

And who can the smitten save? 

Swiftly the years are passing, 

The leaves and the flowers fade; 

This is the land of the dying. 

And joy is of death afraid. 

Where is the land of the living? 

Is it away in heaven? 

But I do not wait for that country 
Ere God’s goodness to me be given. 

That is the land of the living, 

But even the dying earth 
Is full of the life of his mercy, 

And glad with the sounds of mirth. 

Where is the land of the living? 

Wherever God lives with me— 

On earth with its boundless blessing, 

Or away on the sunny sea. 

’Tis the land where the angels praise him; 

It is here where I pass my days; 

I live where the Lord lives with me, 

And life is all joy and praise. 

—Marianne Farningham. 


CHAPTER XVI. 


When George returned from the entertain- 
ment he was yet worked up to a high pitch 
for every sentence in the paper he had read 
seemed more a part of his own experience 
than ever and he was in a good condition of 
mind to explain to his parents minutely the 
entire situation. He said: 

“I have played at “Comedy of errors” 
long enough. I shall be off in three days for 
Florida.” 

“Would not a letter be better than a per- 
sonal visit to find out the present condition 
of things?” Suggested his mother. 

“No! mother, I shall trust nothing but my 
own eyes and ears till this matter is settled 
forever.” 


164 


TWO OLD LETTERS. 


This being Tuesday night, all things were 
in readiness for him to start Friday morning 
when his mother said: 

“My son, you know I’m not superstitious, 
but some how, I can’t help but wish you were 
starting on some other day than Friday.” 

“If I find an unpleasant state of affairs it 
will not be because I started on Friday; and 
if I find it otherwise I’ll be glad I did not 
wait for another day. So I shall be off and 
know for myself all about this matter, and so 
saying, he left the old homestead for that 
short trip with much more fear and trembling 
than when he bade them good- bye to face 
the well aimed bullets of a brave and worthy 
foe. The very locomotive that drew the 
train seemed to catch the spirit of his trip 
and grow restless at every stop; and as she 
stood panting on the track— the very em- 
bodiment of strength, life, and motion — he 
realized how well the old hackneyed discre- 
tion — “hoof of iron, limb of steel, and heart 
of fire,” described that wonderful piece of 
machanism. 

A few miles out of Atlanta, Ga., and they 
had a wreck that caused five hours delay. 
This brought that old Friday foolishness to 
his mind, and though he did not believe a 
syllable of it, he found himself wishing he 
had started on some other day. It is a fact 
in human exprience that when we open our 


TWO OLD LETTERS. 


165 


heart to one fear a thousand crowd in and 
George was no exception to this rule, for he 
was scared at everything the moment he 
gave way the least bit to the Friday super- 
stition. He was too restless to stay in the 
car and it was a little too cold to be out so he 
walked forward to warm himself by the 
engine and meditate on out door objects. As 
the steam went down the locomotive seemed 
to lose its interest in the trip and lazily 
fizzed on the track as if it never would move 
again. 

He began to think about that last note 
written by Hattie and saw things in it he 
never dreamed of before he left home. He 
concluded that the note was just about what 
she would write even if she were married. 

“She simply wants to know if I got out 
of the war. Then she signs it ‘ ‘Hattie. ” If 
she were not married she would have added 
the Gholston. ” 

In this state of mind, he would have re- 
turned home but for the fact that his train 
moved on before the other one came and 
both did not stop at the place of passing. 
When the train got in motion, his courage 
asserted itself and he resolved to see the 
thing out, saying: “I can pay her a friendly 
visit after marriage as well as she can write 
a friendly note provided she is married.” It 


166 


TWO OLD LETTERS. 


was well he made this resolve for he cer- 
tainly did need it later on. 

He had a nice trip the remainder of the 
journey and had forgotten all about that 
Friday superstition, feeling perfectly content 
to go on and see for himself just what there 

was in it. “ ville!” exclaimed the porter, 

and the passengers began to hustle out but 
George, in a sort of aimless fashion, got off 
at the rear end of the coach and began look- 
ing around in a way that disclosed plainly 
he was ill at ease. 

“Boss, does you want a rig?” said a negro. 

“Do I want what?’ ’ not understanding him. 

“I’s in the liberty stable business, and 
wants to hire you a carriage or buggy if you 
needs one. ” 

“Do you own a stable?” 

“No sah I’s a drivin’ for Mr. Dick Hibler 
and he owns a fine stable, boss. ” 

“If you drive I guess you know the citizens 
around here pretty well, don’t you?” 

“I guess I does. I’ve drived right here 
eversince dem Yankees come down on dis 
place and sot all des niggers free. ” 

“Do you know Mr. Gholston?” 

“De ol’ Squi’ah? Course I does, I was 
out dare las’ Friday.” The word Friday put 
George into a shake from head to foot. 

“What were you out there for?” 

“You see boss, I meets dis train and his 


TWO OLD LETTERS. 


167 


daughter come on a visit and I driv her and 
de baby out in dat buggy you sees hitched to 
de post. ” 

“Were they all well?” 

“I didn’t see no body but de ol’ lady, I 
knows she was well, kase she come just a 
runnin’ and said “Why Hettie,” (the negro 
pronounced it Hettie) “why didn’t you let 
us know you were coming, and we would 
have met you at the depot. ” This settled it. 
Hattie was married and he had acted the 
fool by not taking his mother’s advice, 
thought he. 

“Have you a good hotel here?” 

“Yes sir boss, best, in de land.” 

“Well drive me to it. ” 

“I will if you wants me to boss, but dat’s 
it right cross de street where yo ’ sees dem 
big mulberry trees wid de leaves all on de 
ground from de frost. ” 

“Oh! well, I can walk over there.” 

He went over, registered, washed and was 
soon ready for dinner. The house was first 
class; kept by an unmarried lady, whose 
age was an unknown quantity, who resolved 
to know about George and his business be- 
fore he got away. Her father owned the 
farm and this fine residence when the rail- 
road was built right in front of his door. He 
sold off the lots that made the town and con- 
verted this spacious mansion into a hotel. 


168 


TWO OLD LETTERS. 


Miss “Vic.,” as they called her, felt as if she 
owned the town as well as the hotel and 
claimed the right to know, if not regulate, 
everybody’s business. 

She sized George up as a revenue officer 
and began to talk to him as if he were. 

He told her he was not. 

“U. S. Marshall, are you? I did not think 
you were a drummer.” 

“No madam, I am not a U. S. Marshell.” 

“Just traveling for your health and to see 
the country?” 

“You certainly don’t think I need my 
health improved after seeing me eat that fine 
dinner?” 

That compliment on the dinner pleased 
but did not satisfy her, and she had grown as 
resolute over her failure to elicit his business 
as he had become annoyed by her persistence 
so they were both in a condition of mind to 
say an extreme thing. She did not have any 
too much respect for a Northern man at best. 

“ What is your business ?” She asked. 

“I haven’t any business here and if I had 
a thimble full of sense I’d be at home.’’ He 
had grown tired of her and was disgusted 
with himself again. 

A little walk and communion with nature, 
usually quieted him but not so this time. 
Every leaf, snatched from their withering 
stems by the icy fingers of the recent frost 


TWO OLD LETTERS. 


169 


acknowledged the presence of death and 
seemed to proclaim in husky voice, as the 
wind blew them across his path, eternal 
death! to his fondest hope! 

He walked up the street to a beautiful 
flower garden and as he leaned on the fence 
and gazed upon the shrubs and flowers, their 
dumb mouths seemed to find tongues of 
sorrow with which to whisper out a mutual 
sympathy to his quivering soul: * * “We 
all do fade as a leaf, and our iniquities like 
the winds have taken us away.” When one 
reaches this condition everything has a voice 
either to mock at our sorrow or sympathize 
with our misery, so all nature, to his eye, 
was draped in mourning or clothed in a 
satanic mocking grin at his disappointment. 
He held on to the iron fence to prevent his 
falling, while his soul swept off into a psy- 
chological storm where raging nature seemed 
to be clothed in merciless anger and viciously 
fighting his tenderest emotions. He prayed 
for death, but even that “last enemy” seem- 
ed angry and unwilling to come to him at a 
time when his presence w T ould be a solemn 
satisfaction. 

He returned to the hotel but was in no 
condition to compliment the supper or par- 
take thereof, and asked to be shown to his 
room at once. He, accordingly, was placed 
in a room elegantly furnished and as well 


170 


TWO OLD LETTERS. 


adapted to Miss Vic’s, purposes as to his 
comfort, for she fully intended to study him 
well and find out his business. She believed 
yet that he was a revenue officer or U. S. 
marshal or had some “government job” 
which she disliked. He walked to the centre 
of the room and seated himself at a strong 
table, clasping his hands firmly and throwing 
his arms out at full length so that both 
armpits rested on the table while his head 
fell to one side and rested on his right arm. 
“Hattie Gholston!” he murmured. “She 
flashed across my life like a blazing meteor 
leaving my soul darker and more dismal for 
the momentary light.” 

As he felt her going out of his life forever, 
an awful shudder convulsed his whole being. 
He felt a cold, icy, tremor come over him as 
his empty soul began to fill with hideous 
imagery, calculated to frighten the “King of 
Terrors*’ (death) from his throne of moulder- 
ing skulls, rottening bones, and putrid flesh. 
Disappointment crawled in like a cold, slimy 
serpent and folded itself up in the chambers 
of the soul while his spirit seemed chained to 
the skeleton of his dead hope— mouth to 
mouth, body to body, limb to limb, until 
expectation should perish forever. An 
awful phantom, clothed in the habiliments 
of despair, took possession of his heart and 
ruled over his feelings, desires and aspira- 


TWO OLD LETTERS. 


171 


lions, for the time transforming him into a 
veritable demon. In his attempt to describe 
the shadowy form that crawled in and 
took possession of his heart, he quoted: 

* * * “but how shall I describe 
What naught resembles else my eye hath seen? 

Of worm or serpent kind it something looked, 

But monstrous with a thousand snaky heads, 

Eyed each with double orbs of glaring wrath; 

And with as many tails that twisted out 
In horrid revolution, tipped with stings; 

And all its mouths that wide and darkly gaped, 

And breathed most poisonous breath had each a sting 
Forked, and long and venomous, and sharp; 

And in its writhings infinite it grasped 
Malignantly what seemed a heart, swollen black, 

And quivering with torture most intense; 

And still the heart with anguish throbbing high, 
Made effort to escape, but could not; for 
Howe’er it turned — and oft it vainly turned, 

These complicated foldings held it fast, 

And still the monstrous beast with sting of head 
Or tail transpierced it bleeding ever more.” 

— Pollok. 

Just how he spent the night he nor we 
will ever know, but next morning, before any 
one else had gotten up about the hotel, he 
found himself walking restlessly back and 
forth on the railroad track debating the 
question once more of taking his own life by 
throwing himself before the first locomotive 
that came, for he felt that he had unmistak- 


172 


TWO OLD LETTERS. 


able evidence now that Hattie was married 
and gone from him forever. 

It is a mystery to see a man noble in 
character, strong in purpose, and brave in 
battle giving way fco feeling and yet it is not 
incompatible with greatness. This whole 
nation admired General Grant when he 
wept over the little girl as much as when 
he commanded a great army in battle. 


CHAPTER XVII. 


When the train came, George went aboard 
and ran on down the road twenty-eight miles, 
merely to get away from that place so that 
he might compose himself and determine 
what course to pursue. Arriving at the place 
selected for a temporary stay, he strolled 
around to a business house which handled 
farming implements, and almost before he 
was aware, he took an order for a large bill 
of goods and ‘forwarded same to his father 
and arranged to spend the winter in that 
country taking orders. This proved to be a 
profitable business project which seemed to 
come about by accident, but such accidents 
never happen to any but those who by 
patient toil and industry prepare for the 


174 


TWO OLD LETTERS. 


opportune moment. When George began 
with his father in the farm implement busi- 
ness, he studied the catalogues, prices, etc., 
night and day; and when he left home he 
filled his grip with catalogues to study on 
the train that he might economize every 
moment and relieve the monotony of the 
journey at the same time. As a result he 
was ready for the opportunity when it came, 
and was not slow to give his new disappoint- 
ment a business turn and thus account to his 
neighbors in Pennsylvania for his sudden 
trip to the South. He ran over to Montgom- 
ery, Ala., and sold an immense bill of goods 
and established a sort of head- quarters for a 
while from which he worked the country 
around. In the meantime, Miss Vic. report- 
ed to Miss Hattie Gholston the strange con- 
duct of a man from Pennsylvania, who in 
agony pronounced her name over and over 
again while in a state of frenzy, and had her 
come and examine the register hoping to get 
something from her that she had failed to extort 
from George on that memorable occasion, 
when she pressed him so hard to ascertain 
his business. She assured Miss Hattie that 
the fellow was in great mental agony and 
certainly had committed suicide by that 
time, or would do so soon. Hattie knew 
from the name, residence, and handwriting 
that it was none other than he for whom she 


TWO OLD LETTERS. 


175 


had lived all these years; but she set her 
face like a flint not to betray, by word, or 
tear, or countenance, the real situation to 
Miss Vic., who always furnished all startling 
information to the public. 

The fact that he was in mental agony and 
mentioned her name “again and again” and 
then went on off without seeing her was a 
great puzzle. She thought of many solutions 
for this new problem, but was philosophical 
enough not to settle on any of them as cor- 
rect, in the absence of information. She 
hurried back home, as soon as it was possible 
to excuse herself from Miss Vic., and going 
in the back way found ’Cinda preparing 
dinner. As she entered the door her lips 
were quivering, her eyes were overflowing 
with tears, and the grip she had unconcious- 
ly taken on her new winter clothing with 
her left hand, over her heart had actually 
torn the strong fabric at every point where 
the death-like clutch had fastened upon the 
garment. With a pain, or something that 
seemed a pain at her heart, she exclaimed, 
as she fell into ’Cinda’s arms; “Oh! ’Cinda, 
my heart!’’ 

’Cinda placed her on her own bed in the 
corner of the old fashioned kitchen and at- 
tempted to leave her to bring Mrs. Gholston, 
but Hattie’s arms were entwined about her 
old black neck with that convulsive grip 


176 


TWO OLD LETTERS. 


known only to those who hang to a straw, as 
it were, while an ocean of sorrow swallows 
up the soul. A physician was called and she 
was treated for neuralgia of the heart and he 
received his pay, but it was black ’Cinda’s 
medicine— prayer, sympathy and encour- 
agement— that cured the patient. 

When she recovered a little, she, as usual, 
told ’Cinda all, only to find her faith greatly 
strengthened by what seemed a great dis- 
couragement and hear her say with more em- 
phasis than ever before: 

“I tell’s yo chile, God’s gwine to bring dis 
here matter out all right. 1 feels it in my 
bones. ” 

“Yes, but ’Cinda, how can I live till He 
does it?” 

“Live! Dat same God what’s bringin’ all 
dis ’round, he’s yo life, and he helps you to 
live. Your pa didn’t own my husband. De 
man on de next plantation owned him an 
sole him to a nigger trader dat took him 
clear to Alabam. Dis boy Tim, what’s just 
yo age was two years ole den, an held up his 
little black hans as da drove his pap by on 
de way to Alabam. 

Den chile, I went to prayin’ and one dark 
rainy day when we was all shellin’ corn, yo 
pa- he saw me cryin, and said: 

’Cinda, I’ll have that nigger if it costs me 


TWO OLD LETTERS 


177 


the lower plantation. Den chile I was happy. 
I node yo pa would buy him back to me. ” 
During all the time spent in telling her 
this story (which is greatly shortened here) 
’Cinda was engaged in laving her burning 
brow and eyes with cool towels from a basin 
of water, and soothing the soul into restful 
submission to providences not understood, so 
that in a little while, she was relaxed in body 
and spirit and quietly said : 

4 ‘’Cinda, what made him do that way and 
then go on off when he was so near me and 
evidently stopped in this town because we 
are here?” 

“I don’t know chile; but I’s been thinkin’ 
how I’ll find out more dan dat old maid at de 
hotel knows ’bout dat man, and if you’ll let 
me off to go to town dis evenin’ and get me a 
little smokin’ tobacker, I’ll find out mo ’ah 
’bout dat man and where he’s went dan any 
ob dem folks knows ’bout.” 

“For goodness sake go now ’Cinda, if you 
think you can;” and Hattie began kissing her 
old black face and clasping her neck with a 
trustful fondness known only to those who 
have enjoyed the confidence and sympathy 
of a slave in time of great sorrow and afflic- 
tion. They were true as fidelity itself. 

Hattie supplied the funds with which the 
tobacco was to be purchased while ’Cinda 
dressed — which meant a clean apron, and a 
( 12 ) 


178 


TWO OLD LETTERS. 


bandanna handkerchief, tucked in around 
her head in a fashion known to the days of 
slavery, — and she was off on an errand equal 
in importance (she felt) to the one when she 
piloted a brigade of Sherman ’s army over 
fifteen miles through the swamp and caused 
them to miss “Massa Gholston’s” horses that 
were hidden out in the bottom to keep the 
soldiers from getting them — true to the 
soldiers as a pilot and true to her Master’s 
interest. 

When ’Cinda arrived at the village she 
went at once to the hotel and made it a 
special point to let Miss Vic. see her enter 
the kitchen so that the conversation might 
come as a result of Miss Vic’s, curiosity, and 
in this she was not disappointed nor delayed 
a moment, for she had hardly time to get 
her cob pipe filled and lighted when Miss 
Vic. accosted her: 

“’Cinda, that nigger-equality, Pennsyl- 
vania Yankee, who cut such shines here the 
other night, is Hattie Gholston’s sweetheart. ” 

“Now chile, yo ’magination’s gwin right off 
widyo,” said ’Cinda, and went on: “Who 
said he was?” 

“I say it,” replied Miss Vic. 

“Yes, but you am a mighty po’ judge of 
sweetheart matters anyway or you’d ’o splic- 
ed wid dat young doctor ’fore de war.” 

Any hint that Miss Vic. was old enough to 


TWO OLD LETTERS. 


179 


marry before the war was an unpardonable 
sin, and she at once ordered ’Cinda out, 
remarking at the same time: “If ever ‘Duck- 
foot’ shows another Pennsylvania Yankee 
to this hotel I’ll order him away.” 

Here ’Cinda got her cue, and hastened 
away, seemingly because she feared Miss 
Vic’s, wrath, but really to find “Duck-foot,” 
and obtain from him all the information she 
could about George, and doing so, she re- 
turned at once, puffing her cob pipe, and 
found Miss Hattie standing in the kitchen 
door waiting for her. 

“Did you learn anything, ’Cinda?” 

“I sho’ did chile. ” 

“Well, for goodness sake tell me quickly.” 

“You knows dat nigger what da calls 
‘Duck-foot’ kase his toes all grows together?” 
— “Well what about Duck-foot?” — “I was 
just gwine to tell you. He axed Duck-foot 
all about yo folks. Dat nigger tole him 
about bringin’ out yo sister and the chilern 
den de man said he would not come out here. 
He had to run to catch the train when he 
started away and this here book fell out of 
his over- coat pocket which was turned top 
side down by hangin’ the coat across his 
arm. ” 

Hattie took the book and as she opened 
it, beheld “two old letters” contained 
in envelopes manufactured in the South 


180 


TWO OLD LETTERS. 


during the war between the states and there- 
fore made of common brown paper. They 
were addressed to Capt. George Carter in her 
own handwriting, and now she was sure he 
had gotten them, but all this thrust upon her 
a new problen which would have been dis- 
tressing indeed but for ’Cinda’s old saying: 
“God is gwin’ to bring dis matter out all 
right.” 

Upon further investigation she found the 
book to be a well written diary of the last 
two months of the civil war and the events 
of his miserable life up to his return home 
in rags and disgrace. 

The amounts paid to Uncle Jimmie for 
nursing him in New Orleans were noted, to- 
gether with the events of that sad experi- 
ence. He had clipped and pasted in this 
diary that little marriage notice from the 
chronicle, and this, taken with what Jimmie 
had told her, enabled her to see that the 
suffering, sorrow, dissipation and disgrace, 
all came as a result of a careless editor who 
wanted locals more than facts. 

He had also pasted the cluster of scripture 
references, given to him by Rev. Mr. 
Gardner, in the diary, and all the latest 
records indicated that he had given up his 
life of dissipation. Some of the latest notes 
disclosed his business and the place in Penn- 
sylvania where that business was located, 


TWO OLD LETTERS. 


181 


and she would have written at once but for 
the “two old letters” so strangely thrown 
back into her possession unanswered. She 
thought surely God was directing in it all, 
and would bring it out all right and she 
simply resigned herself to Him just as ’Cinda 
advised, — “Just leave it all to Him chile,’’ 
said ’Cinda. 


182 


TWO OLD LETTERS. 


God Knows Best. 

If you could push ajar the gates of life 
And stand within, and all God’s workings see 
We could interpret all this doubt and strife 
And for each mystery find a key! 

But not today. Then be content, poorheart! 

God’s plans like lilies pure and white unfold; 

We must not tear the close-shut leaves apart; 

Time will reveal the calyxes of gold. 

And if, through patient toil, we reach the land 
Where tired feet, with sandals loosed, may rest, 
When we shall clearly know and understand, 

I think that we will say, “God knew the best!” 

—The Gateway. 


CHAPTER XVIII. 


Methodist people are to be commended for 
their zeal, industry, and practical work, far 
beyond any other Christian workers known 
to mankind. George had hardly gotten still 
in his temporary quarters before they began 
to ‘ ‘rope him in. ” His land lady, who was 
a Methodist, sent for the pastor, as 
promptly as other people call for a doctor 
in sickness, and introduced him to “Captain 
Carter, ” and in less than a week every 
Methodist, (be it said to their credit) was 
shaking hands with Bro. Carter. 

In all this he saw business advantages, 
social advantages, and in fact, much good 
generally, and almost concluded, after all, 
that one had just as well be a Methodist as 


184 


TWO OLD LETTERS. 


anything else even if the whole thing had 
been originated by man. One thing was 
certain to his mind, Methodism did much good , 
though he did not believe in the “one-man- 
power government’ ’ as he called it. He did 
not believe in infant baptism; he did not 
believe in sprinkling people and calling it 
baptism while our Lord was baptized in the 
River Jordan; he did not believe in the 
preachers getting together in general con- 
ference and making the book of laws by 
which the Methodist church was, and is now, 
governed when the New Testament was given 
by inspiration for that very purpose. 

But in spite of all this he had about made 
up his mind to join the Methodist church 
settle the whole matter, just because good 
people belonged to it. His parents were 
good and they were Methodists, thought he, 
and for him to break away through a sort of 
hard headedness would show a want of 
respect for them, and at the same time get him 
in no better shape for serving the master. 

Picking up that New Testament given to 
him by Rev. R. G. Seymour in New Orleans, 
he turned to this verse — Matt. 10: 37, and read 
thoughtfully : 

37 He that loveth father or mother 
more than me is not worthy of me; and 
he that loveth son or daughter more 
than me is not worthy of me. 


TWO OLD LETTERS. 


185 


“After all, joining the church is not a 
family affair,” said he. “There is principle 
involved in it. ” 

The pastor of the Methodist church called 
on him in a few days with the expressed, pur- 
pose of having him join the church at once, 
and when he raised some questions about 
sprinkling infants and letting it pass for 
baptism — actually taking the place of that 
“burial” in water required by the New 
Testament; — and of the form of church 
government by which one man was per- 
mitted to rule over all the rest; their man- 
made book of laws and such questions, he 
was promptly informed that those were 
“doctrinal” questions and would prove 
ruinous to his usefulness if he did not let 
them alone. The preacher advised him not 
to study any of these subjects; to go on and 
join the church and these matters would all 
be attended to by the minister and then ex- 
cused himself to make another call. 

“Doctrinal questions” escaped George’s 
lips audibly as he heard the front door close 
after the pastor. 

The land lady could not restrain her 
curiosity any further and entered the room at 
once to see what effect the pastor’s visit had 
had on the new boarder, and overheard the 
words ‘ ‘doctrinal questions” for he repeated 


186 


TWO OLD LETTERS. 


them over and over several times. She 
asked with much surprise: 

“Mr. Carter, do you believe in doctrine?” 

‘ ‘I believe in thinking, ’ ’ said he. 

“7 do not believe in doctrine. It has 
spoiled the usefulness of so many people; 
and preachers are no more good when they 
begin to preach ‘doctrine, ’ ” said the lady. 
‘ ‘I do not know much about it, but I guess I 
do not believe in it. It must be something 
bad, for our preachers are always talking 
against it, and heartily oppose any study of 
doctrinal questions by the people. ” 

“How long ’til supper?” he asked. 

“Oh it’s two hours yet, are you hungry? 
We are to have catfish for supper.” 

“No; I simply wish to put inthattimein 
finding out what ‘doctrine’ is. ” 

“I’m sure it is something bad so far as 
religion is concerned or our preachers would 
not oppose it so. ” 

“I’ll study while Aunt Tab,” (the cook) 
“gets that fish and corn bread up to southern 
taste.” 

Just outside of his room, and across the 
hall, stood an old fashioned book case. It 
contained an Unabridged Dictionary and a 
reference Bible which were about all he 
needed for the work in hand. He was a 
critical student. 

“Doctrines,” he repeated over and over 


TWO OLD LETTERS. 


187 


as he turned the leaves of the dictionary- 
in search of the word. “Here it is.” 
‘Doctrine, n [L doctrina , learning; docere , to 
teach], A principle; precept; tenet.’ “There 
is nothing bad about this definition I get 
from the dictionary, " said he, ‘ ‘so I will 
look it up in the New Testament. I presume 
the religious use of it is bad sure enough, 
or our preachers would not so universally 
condemn all study of doctrine by the people.” 

So saying he began to run the references 
and the first was: I Timothy 3: 16. 

16 All scripture is given by inspiration 
of God, and is profitable for doctrine, 
for reproof, for correction, for in- 
struction in righteousness: 

Acts 2: 42. 

42 And they continued steadfastly in 
the apostles’ doctrine and fellowship, 
and in breaking of bread, and in 
prayers. 

To ‘ continue ’ in doctrine seems to be the 
proper thing but our preachers say ‘have 
nothing to do with it, let it aloae, it is 
ruinous,’ etc. 

The Wicked Jews who murdered Jesus and 
persecuted his followers hated “doctrine.” 

Acts 5: 28. 

28 Saying, Did not we straitly com- 
mand you that ye should not teach in 


188 


TWO OLD LETTERS. 


this name? and, behold, ye have filled 
Jerusalem with your doctrine, and in- 
tend to bring this man’s blood upon us. 

II Timothy 4: 3. 

3 For the time will come when they 
will not endure sound doctrine; but 
after their own lust shall they heap to 
themselves teachers, having itching 
ears. 

Titus 1: 19. 

9 Holding fast the faithful word as he 
hath been taught, that he may be able 
by sound doctrine both to exhort and 
convince the gainsayers. 

Romans 6: 17. 

17 But God be thanked, that ye were 
the servants of sin, but ye have obeyed 
from the heart that form of doctrine 
which was delivered you. 

18 Being then made free from sin, ye 
became the servants of righteousness. 

Romans 16: 17. 

17 * * * Mark them which cause 
divisions and offences contrary to the 
doctrine which ye have learned; and 
avoid them. 

He found scores of other passages in 
which the word doctrine occurred in about 
the same sense, and was utterly surprised — 
cast down I may say — that any preacher 


TWO OLD LETTERS. 


189 


should discourage the study of doctrinal 
questions. 

George would have eaten his supper in 
silence, for he was just a trifle perplexed, 
but his land-lady was a Christian worker of 
the first rank and had fully resolved to com- 
mit him against all investigation of doctrinal 
questions, for she had been taught from a 
child by Methodist ministers that people 
who studied them were useless in the church 
and worse than useless — troublesome, hence 
when all were seated comfortably in the well 
warmed dining room, hot coffee at hand, 
plates helped bountifully to catfish, corn- 
bread, etc., she began: 

“How did you come out, Captain, on your 
investigation of ‘doctrine’ this afternoon?” 

“I must say I am surprised, madam, and 
a trifle disappointed.” 

‘ ‘It’s worse than you thought I dare say, ’ ’ 
she observed. 

“No; I find just the contrary to be true. 
The book — New Testament I mean — is full 
of ‘doctrine’, and God highly commends those 
who ‘endure sound doctrine’ and condemns, 
in unmeasured terms, those who ‘teach for 
doctrine the commandments of men’. Man’s 
doctrine is bad.” Mat. 15: 7-9. 

7 Ye hypocrites, well did Esaias 
prophesy of you, saying, 

8 This people draweth nigh unto me 


190 


TWO OLD LETTERS. 


with their mouth and honoreth me 
with tlieir lips; but their heart is far 
from me. 

9 But in vain they do worship me, 
teaching for doctrines the command- 
ments of men. 

“I do not know what the New Testament 
has to say about it,” said she, “but I do 
know our book of discipline and the laws by 
which our church is governed were made by 
as smart men, and as good, as ever lived, 
and our preachers are all against any doc- 
trinal study now, and I am certain there is 
no good in it, Testament or no Testament. ” 

“That had always been my impression,” 
said he, “’til this afternoon, and that is why 
I am a trifle disappointed. I see now I got 
the impression just like you got it, viz: from 
the general opposition our ministers have to 
the study of doctrine, and yet the New 
Testament is full of it and imposes it on us 
as a solemn duty, to know , teach and preach 
the doctrines of the Gospel.” 

“I should say it is full of it,” chimed in old 
Col. Stover as he waited a moment for an- 
other cup of Dixie coffee, as he called it and 
a hot piece of fish, “and it is the duty of every 
man and every woman to know these doc- 
trines. I have no patience with any system 
of theology that encourages ignorance of, 
or even indifference to any New Testament 


TWO OLD LETTERS, 


191 


truths or doctrines.” Here he asked George 
for the little Testament and read: Acts 17:11. 

11 These were more noble than those 
in Thessalonica, in that they received 
the word with all readiness o f mind, 
and searched the scriptures daily, 
whether those things were so. 

Addressing Capt. Carter, whom he had 
learned to love and respect though they had 
fought each other recently on the bloody 
battlefield, he continued: 

4 ‘Captain, I believe it is totally unworthy 
of cultivated folks — yes worse than that — 
it is a sin against God and man, to accept 
religious doctrines with closed eyes like a 
young bird opens wide its little mouth to 
receive and swallow anything that may be 
dropped in, even by an unknown hand. 

The man I heard preach last Sunday re- 
minded me of a cruel trick when I was a boy. 
I knocked a small bumble bee from a clover 
blossom with my hat, caught it between two 
sticks and ran to the hedge where there were 
some young birds in a nest. A gentle tip of 
the nest, as if the mother bird had stepped 
on it, brought three trembling heads up 
with mouths wide open. Just then I dropped 
that bee into one of those unsuspecting 
mouths and you know the rest, they flopped 
out of the nest. ” 


192 


TWO OLD LETTERS. 


‘ ‘I heard that sermon, ” said the land lady 
“and I never heard a more comforting thing 
in my life on the subject of trust. I do not 
see how it could remind you of your cruel 
trick unless your own guilty conscience 
caused you to fear the judgment he spoke 
of.” 

“It was in this way, ” said the Col. “That 
man dropped a false doctrine into the minds 
of that congregation that has a sting 
tempered in the fires of hell, and sharped 
on the grind-stone of deception, and poised 
with the virus of depravity.” 

“I wonder we did not all flop out of the 
nest if it were so bad as all that,” said the 
impatient land-lady with a significant fling 
of the head. 

“Because, madam, the flopping time has 
not come yet,” said the Col. with composure, 
and went on to explain. 

“That man taught you that whatever you 
believe to be right, the same is right for 
you, and that is just as full of stings as 
Pollok’s monster: 

Of serpent kind it something looked, 

But monstrous, with a thousand snaky heads, 

Each eyed with double orbs of glaring wrath, 

And with as many tails, that twisted out 
In hoTrid revolutions tipped with stings. 

“Do you mean to say I’ll be lost if I be- 
lieve that?” she asked. 


TWO OLD LETTERS. 


193 


1 ‘Not necessarily; and yet you suffer a dis- 
advantage corresponding in extent to every 
false doctrine you accepted from book or 
preacher. ” Isaiah 9 :16. 

16 For the leaders of this people cause 
them to err; and they that are led of 
them are destroyed. 

“This verse relates to a vital error into 
which the people were led and by which 
they were destroyed, ” said the Col., “but 
the following verse shows the disadvantages 
of accepting and believing and practicing 
smaller errors — less vital commands. Mat. 
5: 19. 

19 Whosoever therefore shall break 
one of these least commandments, and 
shall teach men so, he shall be called 
the least in the kingdom of heaven; but 
whosoever shall do and teach them, the 
same shall be called great in the 
kingdom of heaven. 

People can be saved in heaven without 
perfect obedience, faith in Christ saves us — 
but he who is careful to do all that Jesus 
commands is infinitely ahead of the indiffer- 
ent Christians — one who believes that any- 
thing is right , if he honestly believes it to 
be so . 1 1 

“The fish, 99 he continued, “swallowed a 
hook because it is made to appear innocent, 
yea absolutely desirable, to a hungry cat, 

( 13 ) 


194 


TWO OLD LETTERS. 


but he suffered the consequence, however 
honestly he believed it to be only a mouthful 
of nourishing food. We are eating him. 

That doctrine, that what we honestly 
believe to be right is right, is one of Satan’s 
sugar-coated lies and all the more dangerous 
because it is easily swallowed, and more — 
tastes good. 

In I Kings 13: 11-22, God’s own prophet 
was led to believe honestly , and that too by 
another one of God’s prophets, that he 
might return and eat a social meal. God 
had told him not to do it, but he saw ‘no 
harm in it’ and really believed he might do 
so, but he was slain for it. 

11 If Now there dwelt an old prophet 
in Bethel; and his sons came and 
told him all the works that the man of 
God had done that day in Bethel: the 
words which he had spoken unto the 
king, them they told also to their 
father. 

12 And their father said unto them, 

What way went he? For his sons had 
seen what way the man of God went, 
which came from Judah. 

13 And he said unto his sons, Saddle 
me the ass. So they saddled him the 
ass: and he rode thereon, 

14 And went after the man of God, 
and found him sitting under an oak ; 
and he said unto him, Art thou the 
man of God that earnest from Judah? 

And he said, I am. 


TWO OLD LETTERS. 


195 


15 Then he said unto him, Come 
home with me, and eat bread. 

16 And he said, I may not return 
with thee, nor go in with thee: neither 
will I eat bread nor drink water with 
thee in this place: 

17 For it was said to me by the word 
of the Lord, Thou Shalt eat no bread 
nor drink water there, nor turn again 
to go by the way that thou earnest. 

18 He said unto him, I am a prophet 
also as thou art; and an angel spake 
unto me by the word of the Lord, say- 
ing, Bring him back with thee into 
thine house, that he may eat bread and 
drink water. But he lied unto him. 

19 So he went back with him, and 
did eat bread in his house, and drank 
water. 

20 If And it came to pass, as they sat 
at the table, that the word of the Lord 
came unto the prophet that brought 
him back: 

21 And he cried unto the man of God 
that came from J udah, saying, Thus 
saith the Lord, Forasmuch as thou 
hast disobeyed the mouth of the Lord, 
and hast not kept the commandment 
which the Lord thy God commanded 
thee, 

22 But earnest back, and hast eaten 
bread and drunk water in the place, of 
the which the Lord did say to thee, 
Eat no bread, and drink no water; thy 
carcase shall not come unto the sepul- 
chre of thy fathers. 

******* 


196 


TWO OLD LETTERS. 


24 And when he was gone, a lion met 
him by the way, and slew him: and his 
carcase was cast in the way, and the 
ass stood by it, the lion also stood by 
the carcase. 

Men were preaching all sorts of things in 
the days of Paul and Peter and James, and 
people were honestly believing those 
errors, but because they were honest and 
conscientious in accepting them, were they 
excused by the great Apostle? nay verily, 
Honesty cuts no figure when we are wrong in 
our belief. Galatians 1: 8-9. 

8 But though we, or an angel from 
heaven, preach any other gospel unto 
you than that which we have preached 
unto you, let him be accursed. 

9 As we said before, so say I now 
again, If any man preach any other 
gospel unto you than that ye have re- 
ceived, let him be accursed. 

God has plainly taught in all ages that man 
must do exactly what he commands in all acts 
of ceremonial service. For instance, He told 
the Jews how to select the lamb for the pass- 
over, how and when it should be killed, what 
they must do with the blood and finally the 
very manner of eating it. Exodus 12: 12. 

11 *fAnd thus shall ye eat it; with your 
loins girded, your shoes on your feet, 


TWO OLD LETTERS. 


197 


and your staff in your hand; and ye 
shall eat it in haste: it is the Lord’s 
passover. 

Failing in any of these things, they suffer- 
ed the consequences no matter how honest, 
earnest, and conscientious they were in 
belief. 

God had a law (Numbers 4: 15) that the Ark 
of the covenant was not to be touched by the 
hand of mortal man except under certain 
prescribed conditions, but a man named 
Uzzah, who had it in his heart to honor God 
and render good service to Him, (not knowing 
about that Law ) touched it and dropped dead. 
He was one of the drivers of the cart on 
which the Ark was being moved, and, it 
seems, might have been excused for merely 
touching it for the purpose of steadying it on 
the vehicle. II Samuel 6: 3-7. 

3 And they set the ark of -God upon a 
new cart, and brought it out of the 
house of Abinadab that was in Gibeah: 
and Uzzah and Ahio, the sons of 
Abinadab, drove the new cart. 

4 And they brought it out of the 
house of Abinadab which was at Gi- 
beah, accompanying the ark of God: 
and Ahio went before the ark. 

5 And David and all the house of 
Israel played before the Lord on all 
manner of instruments made of fir 
wood, even on harps, and on psalteries, 


198 


TWO OLD LETTERS. 


and on timbrels, and on cornets, and on 
cymbals. 

6 If And when they came to Nachon’s 
threshing floor, Uzzah put forth his 
hand to the ark of God, and took hold 
of it; for the oxen shook it. 

7 And the anger of the Lord was 
kindled against Uzzah; and God smote 
him there for his error; and there he 
died by the ark of God. 

Notice the word ‘error’ in the 7th verse. 
No amount of honest, conscientious, belief 
could convert that error into Truth, hence he 
died in his honesty. That doctrine, taught 
by nearly all Methodist preachers, viz: — that 
anything is right if we conscientiously 
believe it, is one of Satan’s very best inven- 
tions for deception and ruin — Dupes glide in- 
to it so easily, while thousands of good peo- 
ple prefer the deadly opiate of ‘honest be- 
lief, ’ in an error rather than take God’s book 
and do the labor necessary to a personal 
knowledge of the truth.” 

By this time all had retired from the din- 
ing room except Capt. Carter, the landlady, 
and an overgrown boy about sixteen years 
old, who was learning the harness-maker’s 
trade, but today (1900) is one of the best 
preachers and Christian workers in the South 
among the Baptists. 


CHAPTER XIX. 


George received instructions from his 
house to make a tour through Mississippi in 
the interest of the implement business, and 
was off in a few days on a trip, many parts of 
which had to be made by stage, there being 
no railroads. Two days out on the first part 
of the trip and the stage broke completely 
down, so they could not move at all, right in 
the middle of a swamp, while the rain was 
falling in torrents. A moment’s reflection 
called to mind the fact that they had started 
on Friday, and in spite of his better judg- 
ment, he felt all broken up by that Friday 
foolishness, and for an hour or two he lived 
over again his dreadful experience in that 
hotel in ville, Fla., the night he felt 


200 


TWO OLD LETTERS. 


called on to give Hattie Gholston up the 
second time, and this time, as he thought, 
forever. 

With one wheel smashed down, the stage- 
coach was an unpleasant place to sit even 
for the sake of shelter from the rain, so they 
went out by the side of the road and the 
driver kindled a big fire out of rich pine 
limbs and knots, against an old pine stump. 
George’s companion in travel had been a Lieu- 
tenant in the Fourth Georgia Infantry — Con- 
federate army, but was then traveling for a 
house that sold engines, boilers, cotton gins 
and other things usually handled by such a 
house. The driver camped out often on 
these trips, and, therefore, was not wholly 
unprepared for this emergency as he had 
some bread, meat, ground coffee and a coffee 
pot. He had purchased a basket of eggs on 
the way which he promised to carry to a 
lady who kept a boarding house in the town 
ahead, so after all, both Capt. Carter and the 
Lieutenant had often been in a much worse 
fix. 

The driver went to get some water in his 
coffee pot from the ditch by the road-side, 
and returned with the water and a twenty- 
four pound shell that he had fished out of the 
ditch while filling his coffee pot. Dropping 
it on the soft earth with a heavy thud that 


TWO OLD LETTERS. 


201 


vividly reminded born of the awful days 
through which they had passed, he asked: 

“Which of you fellows wasted that load?” 

“It may not have been wasted in the sense 
in which you use the word ‘wasted,’ ” said 
George. 

“It has evidently been shot from a cannon 
and there may be a home gloomy and hearts 
desolate somewhere, because of that very 
shot. It may have done its intended deadly 
work.” 

“If wasted at all, Capt. Carter’s folks 
wasted it, for we did not use that kind of 
shell,’’ said the Lieutenant, and he and 
George went on with a conversation about 
the war, that greatly relieved the gloomy 
state of mind into which Captain Carter had 
been thrown by their misfortune in travel. 
Strongly strapped to the rear end of the 
stage coach, after the fashion of a wall- 
pocket, was a boot in which baggage was 
carried. This was made of wooden slats held 
together by small iron bars and it was about 
four feet square. When dinner was ready, 
the driver detached that boot, placed it on 
the top of a stump and covered it with an oil 
cloth used to protect the baggage, so that it 
looked, for all the world, like a table. 

When about ready to begin eating, the 
Lieutenant drew from his grip a flask of 


202 


TWO OLD LETTERS. 


fine whiskey and passed it to George, who 
modestly declined to drink. 

“Have some, Captain,” he urged. 

“No, thank you. I gave God my vow 
that I would never touch another drop. ” 

“Yes, but you did not know, when you did 
that, about this break-down in the swamp 
and dinner in the rain. It will do you good 
on a day like this,” said he, at the same 
moment pushing the bottle well towards 
Captain Carter. 

At that moment an explosion occured which 
shook the very earth beneath their feet and 
threw the fire in every direction. One piece 
of that shell passing between the Lieutenant 
and Captain Carter, struck the lower end of 
that flask breaking it into a thousand pieces 
cutting the Lieutenant’s hand fearfully with 
the pieces of glass. The driver, who had 
turned his “grub box” on end and seated 
himself on it at the table, fell backwards for 
dead, but was not injured in the least. He 
got up scratching the ashes out of his eyes 
and said: 

“Why, I just used that thing to lay along 
side of that rock to set the bucket on in 
which I boiled the eggs. I had no notion it 
would go off like that after lying in that 
water, maybe, four or five years.” 

George was on the point of yielding to the 
temptation when the shell burst, but neither 


TWO OLD LETTERS. 


203 


of them ever tasted strong drink afterward. 
The Lieutecant always pointed to the scars 
on his hand and called them his temperance 
pledge, and the lameness in that hand con- 
stantly reminded him of his obligation. 

An empty hack returning from a trip, 
carried the two traveling men to the next 
town where George did a fine business. In 
fact he had wondrous success throughout 
the entire journey which ended at a town in 
southern Mississippi, where he had been 
directed by his house to collect for goods 
already sold and sell, if possible, a big bill of 
shovels, spades, scrapers, wheel barrows, 
etc., to a construction company that was 
building a big levee, or preparing to build 
one nearby. 

He arrived in good shape, worked the 
town — selling and collecting to his own satis- 
faction — and drove out in a few days to the 
levee camp as the superintendent failed to 
come in as soon as he was expected. 

Mr. Overton, the superintendent, was glad 
to see him, wanted a big bill of goods at 
once, but would have to return with him to 
town and see the president of the construc- 
tion company before giving the order. 
When they reached the town, George went 
at once to the post office and received a 
letter from home, containing one addressed 
to him. As he looked at the handwriting 


204 


TWO OLD LETTERS. 


his brain went into a whirl and he was not 
competent to do business that afternoon. He 
went to his hotel and read: 

“ — ville, Fla., Mar. 21, 1870. 
Capt. George Carter. 

Dear Friend: — I have a diary which seems 
to have fallen out of your pocket when you 
visited our town. It contained two old let- 
ters of mine and a manuscript written by you 
on the ‘Wonders of the Soul.’ I have reason 
to believe you want the book and manuscript, 
and will send them if I ever learn where to 
address you. 

Respectfully, Hattie. 

The contents of this note seemed to creep 
into his being like a horrid night mare and 
threw him into an agonizing delirium in 
which the agitated soul, like a great psycho- 
logical ocean threw up billows of sorrow, by 
which consciousness was overwhelmed and 
all power of thought swept into oblivion. 

He read and re-read the note, but saw 
nothing in it but a mere act of kindness he 
would have a right to expect from her, though 
she be the wife of another. 

“Confound ifc. Why didn't she sign it 
Hattie Smith, or Jones or Brown? Then I 
would have known about it, but here I am 
all mixed up like a fool again. ” 

She had worded her note so that no object- 
ion could be rightfully urged against it, if in 


TWO OLD LETTERS. 


205 


the mean time, he had married another, and 
resolved to await future developments still 
leaning on ’Cinda's prayers. 

Mr. Overton came around the next'morn- 
ing and found George so changed he hardly 
knew him. In fact, he did recognize him 
more from his dress than the expression of 
his face, which had changed since the even- 
ing before. After the ceremonies of the 
morning meeting, Mr. Overton said: 

“Mr. Carter, I fully intended to see you 
again last evening, but on arriving here I 
learned that our president was sick and 
could not be in the office. He is yet unable 
to leave his room and requested me to bring 
you around so that our order may go at once, 
for we shall need those things before we get 
them.” 

“Thanks! I shall be glad to meet your 
president, but I’m sorry, indeed, to find him 
sick,” said George. “You have quite a little 
malaria in this low, warm country do you 
not?” he continued. 

“No; not much, especially this early in the 
season. Really I ought not to have said our 
president is sick, for he is not. He is suffer- 
ing from the effects of an old wound received 
during the war. ” 

During this and other conversations they 
were walking along the street in the direc- 
tion of an elegant mansion where the pres- 


206 


TWO OLD LETTERS. 


ident of the construction company boarded, 
and in a few moments Mr. Overton introduc- 
ed Mr. Carter to Captain Gholston, president 
of the construction company. 

To say that George w r as paralyzed in body 
and mind and thrown into a wild delirium 
that clothed his whole being in dramatic 
frenzy, does not express half the truth. The 
situation was simply awful! for he had all he 
could endure when he started up to see the 
president of the company (for whose name 
he had never thought for a moment to 
enquire;) and this new surprise burdened his 
staggering soul with a life-like picture of one 
of the most trying experiences of the Civil 
War, for, as a drowning man sees all of life 
in an instant, so he fought the entire battle 
of Stone River over again in less than a 
minute, but it seemed to require a week. 

As his blank gaze rested on Captain 
Gholston all those tender feelings connected 
with taking and returning the gold medal 
while Frank was his prisoner in that battle, 
possessed his being and he wept with a 
hysterical excitement known only to those 
who have seen a strong man lose every 
vestige of self control. 

His frenzied mind and bewildered imagina- 
tion reproduced that scene of blood so vividly, 
that it was all real to him again. He heard 
the roar of the cannons as they furnished 


TWO OLD LETTERS. 


207 


the sub- base notes in that grand requiem of 
death set to the minor key by the hand of 
devastation and sorrow, while the Spring- 
field rifles furnished, along with their leaden 
missiles, a highly pitched accompaniment 
played in double quick time by the nimble 
fingers of wholesale destruction. 

When Frank recovered from the shock, so 
that he could move, he took George by the 
hand and said: 

‘ Old boy, I thought I would meet you 
some day. I have one of those ten dollar 
bills you gave me the first and last time I 
ever saw you,” crying like a child. 

George awoke, as it were, and picked him- 
self up immediately and replied: — 

“I had hoped, Captain, that it serve- 
ed you a better purpose than that merely 
of a relic. ” 

“Oh it did! I took luxuries to the measure 
of every cent of it. But one day I was 
telling my nurse, who had the spending of 
it for me, about how I happened to get it 
and she brought back one of the bills and 
gave it to me for a keep sake, and a keep 
sake it has been.” 

This little conversation had the desired 
effect. It broke the ice and put them both 
at ease sufficiently to recognize and respect 
the presence of a third party — Mr. Overton, 
who from the start had gazed with mute 


208 


TWO OLD LETTERS. 


astonishment surmising that there was 
much behind their strange conduct. 

A little explanation made all plain to Mr. 
Overton and he returned to the levee camp 
leaving George and Frank to make out the 
bill of goods. No; to put in the entire day 
talking over — well, everything that two old 
soldiers would naturally be interested in and 
that too with an additional link of peculiar 
interest binding them together. 

When the proper moment came, and he 
was not long bringing it around, George 
said : ‘ ‘Captain, I want to settle one question 
right now.” 

“Very well, what is it?” 

“Miss Hattie Gholston is your sister?” 

“Certainly,” with a peculiar smile. 

“Well, is she married?” 

“Not, unless it has occurred in the last 
two weeks, and I hardly think the old folks 
would let their old bachelor (referring to 
himself) or old maid off without, at least, 
letting all the children know.” 

George handed him the note he had re- 
ceived the evening before and explained the 
situation in detail, while Frank laughed ‘til 
he forgot all about his old wound. 

The dinner bell cut matters short, and 
Frank led the way to an old fashioned 
southern dining room, elegantly furnished 
and arranged to suit the taste of one of the 


TWO OLD LETTERS. 


209 


most cultivated families, where he intro- 
duced his Yankee friend and explained with 
much fervor their first meeting. 


(14) 


210 


TWO OLD LETTERS. 


ASK, AND YE SHALL RECEIVE. 


0 praying ones, who long have prayed, 
And yet no answer heard, 

Have he been sometimes half afraid 
God might not keep His word ? 

Seems prayer to fall on deafened ears? 
Does Heaven seem blind and dumb ? 

Is hope deferred? Believe! believe! 
The answering time will come. 

“ Ask what ye will,” His word is true, 
His power is all divine; 

Ye cannot test His love too far, 

His uttermost is thine; 

God does not mock believing prayer, 
Ye shall not go unfed: 

He gives no serpent for a fish, 

Nor gives He stones for bread. 

Thine inmost longings may be told, 
The hopes that turned to shame, 

The empty life, the thwarted plan, 

The good that never came. 

Say not, ‘‘The promise is not mine, 

God did not hear me pray; 

1 prayed— I trusted fully— but 
The grave hath barred the way.“ 

God heard thee— He hath not forgot, 
Faith shall at length prevail, 

Yea, know thou not the smallest jot 
Of all his word can fail; 

Oh, if ye truly have believed, 

Not vain hath been thy prayer. 

As God is true, thy hope shall come, 
Some time— some way— somewhere. 


CHAPTER XX. 


Frank fully intended to run down home 
and spend a week or two recuperating just as 
soon as he felt able to travel, and now that 
he had providentially met one whom he had 
so long desired to see and one who was also 
interested in the trip, he made up his mind 
to be off at once. He disclosed his intention 
to Captain Carter, upon returning to his 
room after dinner, and suggested that they 
get ready and be off at once on a local 
passenger train that would pass in less than 
two hours. He said: 

“Tomorrow is Saturday, and” 

“Well, stop right there” said George con- 
tinuing when he got Frank’s attention. “If 
tomorrow is Saturday, necessarily today is 


212 


TWO OLD LETTERS. 


Friday and I would not start today for the 
value of that bill of goods I sold your 
company.” 

“Do you believe in that Friday foolishness 
about bad luck?” said Frank with a skeptical 
twinkle in his eyes that made Captain 
Carter blush to the very root of every hair. 

“No, I don’t believe in any such nonsense, 
but I shall not start on Friday.” 

Then he proceeded to tell Frank all about 
his Friday experiences ’til he, (Frank) 
laughed himself sick again and could not have 
gone that afternoon, even if George had con- 
sented to undertake the journey with him. 

George resolved not to furnish all the fun 
with his Friday superstition without at least 
an effort to “play even” so he put Captain 
Frank on the witness stand, so to speak, and 
began to question him. 

“Do you believe in any of those old signs, 
for bad or good luck?” 

“Certainly not; and Ido not see how any 

one can who has a thimbleful of ” “sense”! 

interrupted George . “No; I did not 

mean to put it so strongly as that, but I will 
say a thimbleful of philosophy.” 

“You are very kind, ” said George and went 
on with his questions. 

“Did your mother believe in those old 
signs?” 

“Yes, quite a little; and old Aunt ’Cinda, 


TWO OLD LETTERS. 


213 


our ‘black mamma, ’ almost lives on signs 
and wonders, and what she feels in her 
bones. When we get down home she will 
tell you most likely, that she had a sign or 
feeling that you were coming. She has been 
feeding Hat - , I mean my sister — on those 
signs and wonders and ‘feeling in her bones’ 
ever since the first year of the war.” 

“Did you ever hear that it was bad luck 
to see the new moon through the brush of a 
tree or a shrub?” asked George. 

“Yes,” said Prank, “I have heard that bit 
of superstition all my life.” 

At this juncture, a cultivated young lady 
who belonged in the home entered the room 
to bring a message from the superintendent 
of the levee camp to Captain Gholston. But 
before it was read, George explained the 
situation and pressed his last question on 
Frank. 

“Now Captain Gholston, of course I know 
you do not believe in signs, but do you ever 
move just a little to keep from seeing the 
new moon through brush?” 

“N — n — no. Oh! I may have done so when 
a child. ” 

“Well, Captain Gholston!” exclaimed the 
young lady. “No longer since than yester- 
day evening you asked me to bring your 
crutch and you moved clear off of the front 
porch to keep from seeing the new moon 


214 


TWO OLD LETTERS. 


through them morning-glory vines and that 
maple-tree top that stands at the west side 
of the yard.” 

Then the laugh turned on Frank and he 
admitted a great truth that is moving the 
world today, viz: 

We unconsciously act according to our 
former training even after we have learned 
that our teaching was not correct, and on 
this account, people hold on to church 
doctrines when they know them to be 
untrue — they give them up in mind but 
move on as before. 

“Miss Edna. I see you and Captain 
Carter have combined against me, so I will 
turn him over to you and you can show him 
oat to church tonight, while I rest up and 
get ready for my journey tomorrow. I 
guess he is not afraid to go to church on 
Friday night. You know a Mr. Carson 
from Tennessee, is to preach one of those 
special sermons, and I am sure Captain 
Carter will enjoy ib.” 

They went. He enjoyed it so much that 
he lingered behind and asked the preacher 
for the notes so that he might give the 
subject earnest and careful thought. 

Here are the elaborate notes: 


TWO OLD LETTERS. 


215 


THE CHRISTIAN’S RELATIONSHIP TO 
THE GOVERNMENT OF GOD. 

Text. —Col. 3: 3. 

If we would learn the truth on any subject, 
of a theological character, we must turn to 
that portion of God’s word which proposes to 
discuss that particular doctrine. We must 
not pick up passages here and there used in 
discussing other subjects. 

If we would know certainly the relation- 
ship the Christian sustains to God’s govern- 
ment, we must turn to that portion of his 
Word which treats on that subject; 

And I wish here to say that no subject in 
the realm of Gospel instruction receives as 
much attention as this one. Eleven chapters 
are devoted to it in the Book of Romans, and 
nearly the entire Book of Galatians. The 
other Pauline Epistles and the Book of 
Hebrews abound with it. 

The Attitude of the World. 

We will first notice the attitude of the 
world, and contrast with it the attitude of 
the Christian in the Government of God. 

God gave the world a law. Exodus 20: 
3-18. It was a perfect law, and if it had been 
obeyed, man would have been absolutely 
perfect under its operation. But none 
obeyed it; hence all were condemned by it. 
Rom. 3: 9. “For we have before proven both 
Jews and Gentiles, that they are all under 
sin.” 

Rom. 3: 19-20. “Now we know that what 
things so ever the law saith, it saith to them 
who are under the law: that every mouth 


216 


TWO OLD LETTERS. 


may be stopped, and all the world may be- 
come guilty before God. Therefore by the 
deeds of the law there shall no flesh be jus- 
tified in his sight: for by the law is the 
knowledge of sin.” 

The attitude of the world then is one of 
complete condemnation. It is condemned by 
a law that requires nothing but what is right 
at the hands of man — a law that would make 
the world perfect and man happy. This 
shows that the cause of condemnatin is in the 
weakness of man and not in the unreason- 
ableness of the demands of the law. Rom. 
8: 3. “For what the law could not do, in 
that it was weak through the flesh, God 
sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful 
flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh.” 
None, therefore have gone or will go to 
Heaven from the realm of law, for the “Law 
worketh wrath. ” During all the ages to 
come, unconverted men and women will be 
under this law and condemned by it as much 
as they were before the coming of Christ. He 
only takes those who believe in him out 
from under the law. This is a dark picture 
but let us turn on the light: — The Light of 
the World — in the use of one bold passage of 
Scripture: — Rom. 10: 4. “For Christ is the 
end of the law for righteousness to every one 
that believeth.” 

The index finger of the law points to a 
system of perfect work and requires a perfect 
performance of every man. Gal. 3: 10. “For 
as many as are of the works of the law are 
under the curse: for it is written, Cursed is 
every one that continueth not in all things 
which are written in the book of the law to do 


TWO OLD LETTERS. 


217 


them.” All have sinned, hence all are under 
this curse. Oh ! the wretched situation ! Yet 
if the law had been satisfied with less than 
perfect obedience, heaven would have been 
filled with imperfect persons, and would 
have been no better than earth in this 
particular. 

Grace points to the perfect work of Christ 
and asks every sinner to accept that as his 
own fulfillment of all that the law requires 
of him. When the law demanded perfection, 
Christ, our Redeemer furnished it for us. 
When it demanded death, he furnished that 
also. Oh! blessed situation! 

But how is this new relation brought 
about and what is the attitude of those who 
accept the perfect work of Christ? The 1st 
chapter and 17th verse of John will tell it all 
in less than one sentence. — “Grace and truth 
came by Jesus Christ.” Add to this Ephes- 
ians 2: 8 and we have it all — “For by grace are 
ye saved through faith; and that not of your- 
selves: it is the gift of God: Not of work, 
lest any man should boast.” 

Law and work go hand in hand and simply 
reveal man’s weakness and condemnation. 
Grace and faith save him in utter helpless- 
ness, so that none can take credit to them- 
selves in any degree whatever for being 
saved. 

The law demands death as a penalty for its 
violation, and every sinner by his physical 
and eternal death meets its demand. But 
since the law is an INFINITE ONE, and 
the penalty an INFINITE PENALTY it 
requires an eternity in which to meet it. 
Eternal punishment, therefore, is the logical 


218 


TWO OLD LETTERS. 


consequence of its operation. Jesus fur- 
nished the law all it required of any one of 
Adam’s Race in his death, and then arose 
from the dead and now lives to give that 
death, so to speak, to every sinner as a 
substitute for that sinner to put in the place 
of his own death, when the law demands its 
penalty. In consequence of this, Christ be- 
comes everything to us — our wisdom, our 
righteousness, our sanctification and our 
redemption. 1st Cor. 1: 30. 

When the Devil shakes the law at us and 
demands death as a penalty for our sins, we 
point him to 1st Corinthians 15: 3. “Christ 
died for our sins according to the scripture” 
and he has no more to say. He has nothing 
against us. 

But the Christian exclaims, Rom. 8: 1*3. 
‘‘There is therefore now no condemnation to 
them which are in Christ Jesus who walk 
not after the flesh but after the Spirit. For 
what the law could not do in that it was weak 
through the flesh, God sending his own son 
in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, con- 
demned sin in the flesh.” 

The Christian’s Attitude. 

The attitude of the Christian is that of a 
dead man. Rom. 6: 11. “Likewise reckon 
ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, 
but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our 
Lord.” Gal. 2: 20. “I am crucified with 
Christ, nevertheless I live; YET NOT I but 
Christ liveth in me.” Col. 3: 3-4. “For ye 
are dead and your life is hid with 
Christ in God. When Christ, who is our life, 
shall appear, then shall ye also appear with 
him in glory. 


TWO OLD LETTERS. 


219 


There is no law in force against the 
Christian because he is taken from the realm 
of law and put in the realm of 
grace where there is no law; and “Where 
no law is, there is no transgression. 1 ’ Rom. 
4: 15. “For sin shall not have dominion over 
you: for ye are not under the law, but under 
grace.” Rom. 6: 14. (Now if we are out 
from under the law and we are, if there is 
any truth in the Gospel) then Romans 5:13, 
will further explain the situation: — “Sin is 
not imputed where there is no law. ’ It is 
not charged up to the believer. 

To Illustrate. 

Mexico has a law by which a man is 
“peoned” (that is, made a slave) if he fails to 
pay his debts. If the man, upon learning his 
situation financially gets out of Mexico and 
comes across the line into the United States, 
that law cannot touch him. He is out of the 
realm where it operates, and in a realm where 
there is no such law. 

Well, says one — In this realm of Grace oc- 
cupied by the Christian, where there is no 
law to condemn, one can sin just as much as 
he pleases and yet remain a Christian uncon- 
demned. Why, says he, “If I believed that, 

I would get converted and then sin as much 
as I pleased, and have a good time with the 
world generally. Friend, if that is your idea 
of a good time, you have never been con- 
verted. Some accused Paul of teaching this 
very doctrine and tried to make it appear 
that he encouraged men in “Evil that Good 
may come.” Rom. 3: 8. He guarded this 
point very carefully afterwards. See 


220 


TWO OLD LETTERS. 


Homans 6: 1-2. “Shall we continue in sin, 
that grace may abound ? God forbid. How 
shall we that are dead to sin, live any longer 
therein?” Again Romans 6: 15. “What, 

then? shall we sin, because we are not under 
the law, but under grace? God forbid. ” 

There is but one way to get from under the 
law and get into the realm of grace where 
there is no law and that is by simply ac- 
cepting Jesus Christ along with all that he 
has suffered and done for us. “For Christ 
is the end of the law for righteousness to 
every one that believeth.” Rom. 10: 4. 
Gladly accept that one passage with a loving 
resignation to Jesus and you are saved this 
minute. Do you accept it right now? If not, 
why not, seeing that is all you have to do to 
be saved. 

When the sinner changes his place from 
the realm of law, by accepting as just in- 
dicated, and gets into the realm of grace, we 
say he is converted and regenerated and this 
involves such a change in the sinner him- 
self, that he does not sin willfully any more. 
His will is the very thing he has to give up 
in conversion; hence that belongs to Christ 
and does not enter into sin when from force 
of circumstances he is led to do wrong. 

More than this, he is a double man now, for at 
this point a new creature comes into view and 
we see while looking at him with our mental 
and physical eyes, the outward and inward 
man 2nd Cor. 4: 16. “For which cause we 
faint not; but though our OUTWARD man 
perish, yet the INWARD man is renewed 
day by day.” The OUTWARD man is born 
of the flesh — “That which is born of the flesh 


TWO OLD LETTERS, 


221 


is flesh.” John 3: 6, and will never be wholly 
free from depravity and sin in this life. 
Paul says of us when we come to die: — 1st 
Cor. — 15: 42; “So also is the resurrection of 
the dead. It is sown in corruption , it is 
raised in incorruption. 

The INWARD man is born of the spirit; 
“That which is born of the spirit is spirit.” 
John 3: 6, and will never sin. Listen at 1st 
John 4: 9, where he says: “Whosoever is 
born of God doth not commit sin, for his 
seed remaineth in him, and he cannot sin 
because he is born of God.” This is only 
true of the SPIRITUAL or INWARD man. 
The same writer Chapter 1: 8, speaking of the 
OUT WARD man which is born of the flesh 
says: “If we say that we have no sin, we 
deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.” 
These two passages appear to contradict 
each other but are in perfect harmony when 
the twofold nature of the Christian is brought 
to view in God’s word, and we understand 
that in the first he speaks of the inward man, 
while in the next he is speaking of the out- 
ward man. Ttie apostle Paul makes this 
same distinction between the inward and 
outward man, and his personal experience is 
a demonstration of the same truth. 

Rom. 7: 18. “For I know that in me (that 
is, in my flesh,) dw T elleth no good thing: for 
to will is present with me; but how to per- 
form that which is good I find not.” Verse 
21: “I find then a law, that when I would 
do good, evil is present with me.” Verse 22: 
“For I delight in the law of God after the 
inward man.” Verse 23: “But I see an- 
other law in my members warring against 


222 


TWO OLD LETTERS. 


the law of my mind, and bringing me into 
captivity to the law of sin which is in my 
members.” Verse 24: “0 wretched man 

that I am! who shall deliver me from the 
body of this death?” Verse 25: “I thank 
God through Jesus Christ our Lord. So 
then with the mind I myself serve the law of 
God; but with the flesh the law of sin.” The 
OUTW ARD man is a sinner always but held 
in check by the INWARD man which is born 
of God and never sins. Gal. 5: 17. “For the 
flesh lusteth against the spirit, and the 
spirit against the flesh: and these are con- 
trary the one to the other: so that ye cannot 
do the things that you would.” 

I have already noted the fact that Chris- 
tians are dead. They die in order that their 
relationship to the law of sin may cease and 
it is at this point in the progress of their 
religious experience that they are ‘‘buried 
with Christ in baptism, ” and raised up to a 
new life. There is death and life in our 
conversion and there is burial and resur- 
rection in our baptism. 

You will see from this, that our baptism 
contains in itself, lying between every act 
in its administration — the fundamental doc- 
trines of salvation. It is suggestive of death, 
and helplessness on account of death; of 
grace which deals only with helplessness, 
and of faith, in the subject, which leads him 
to trust.himself wholly to the hands of another 
through an ordeal in which he can do nothing 
for himself. 

We do not attach enough importance 
ordinarly to the death just mentioned. The 
absolute certainty of the new life — eternal 


TWO OLD LETTERS. 


223 


ife — is connected with this death. Rom. 8: 
36-39. Gal. 2: 20. Col. 3: 3-4. We become 
dead by accepting the death of Christ — be- 
lieving that he really did die in our place. 
This death disqualifies us for saving ourselves. 
What can a dead man do? The law requires 
much doing. Rom, 2: 13, and a dead man 
cannot do anything. Truly salvation is “Not 
of works lest any man should boast.” This 
death qualifies us for the realm of grace, for 
grace can only deal with helpless subjects. 
Grace only accepts helplessness; hence a 
man is never saved while he tries to do 
something to save himself. If grace only 
undertakes our salvation, in consequence of 
a helplessness, brought about by this death, 
then our helplessness becomes the 
base op our hope, and grace will save every 
converted man and woman in this world, 
unless it be shown that we have the power 
to come to life from this death, upon which 
our salvation depends. We are dead and our 
lives are hid with Christ in God. Col. 3: 2. 
Our salvation is LOCKED UP in this death 
and Jesus alone is the resurrection, in every 
sense of the word. The attitude of the be- 
liever then is one of UNCONDITIONAL 
safety; his rewards, however, are conditional 
and may be small or great according to his 
faithfulness or unfaithfulness. And on this 
account we are admonished in many places 
in the scripture, to be faithful and take heed 
lest we fall into temptation, and not to re- 
turn to the beggerly elements of the world, 
etc; but these things are never to set aside 
the positive utterances of Jesus. John. 10: 
28. “And I give unto them eternal life; and 


224 


-TWO OLD LETTERS. 


they shal] never perish, neither shall any 
man pluck them out of my hand. ” If a man 
fall and is lost one week after conversion, 
then eternal life was of only seven days 
duration. Rom. 8: 38. “For lam persuaded 
that neither death, nor life, nor angels, 
nor principalities, nor powers, nor things 
present, nor things to come, nor height, nor 
depth, nor any other creature, shall be able 
to separate us from the love of God, w T hich 
is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Our sins can 
easily separate us from the joy of salvation. 
Psalms 51: 12, and from our reward in 
heaven, but not from eternal life. I Cor. 5: 
4-5. 


4 In the name of our Lord Jesu3 
Christ, when ye are gathered together, 
and my spirit, with the power of our 
Lord Jesus Christ. 

5 To deliver such an one unto Satan 
for the destruction of the flesh, that 
the spirit may be saved in the day 
of the Lord Jesus. 

Many Christians who sin — and all do sin — 
would repent at once if it were not for the 
false doctrine which leads them to think: 
“Well, I am back in the unsaved state on 
account of this sin and have to be converted 
over again, so I will just go on in this way 
till the next revival comes round.” To be 
sure they are in a bad fix as was David, BUT 
THEIR RELATIONSHIP to the family of 
God has not been changed. The whole IN- 
WARD man is starving for the bread of life. 
They are without joy of salvation, and their 
reward is diminishing every day. God says 
of such: Psalms 89: 32. Then will I visit 


TWO OLD LETTERS. 


225 


their transgressions with the rod and their 
iniquity with stripes. Nevertheless my 
loving kindness will I not utterly take from 
him nor suffer my faithfulness to fail.” Heb. 
12: 6-7-8. 

Reflections. 

1st. The Christian may know he is saved 
when he is willing to leave the matter of his 
salvation in the hands of Christ and is 
prompted from within to do the will of Christ 
the best he can. John 6: 17. 

2nd. The modern holiness, or “second 
blessing” theory is unscriptural and is not 
true. I John 1: 8. 

3rd. Salvation is not dependant on baptism 
because our death to sin and faith in Jesus 
Christ precede it, and these are the per- 
fecting elements in salvation. 

4th. Our baptism is a burial in water, be- 
cause nothing else will symbolize our death 
and the truth designed to be taught by baptism 
viz: — Death— Resurrection. Rom. 6: 2. 

5th. Our salvation is eternally fixed be- 
cause no element of opposition to it can come 
into our experience in the future that has not 
been considered and overcome at the time of 
our conversion, and we have been reckoned 
as dead ever since, and Christ is the life. 

6 th. Good works, however great and 
numerous, do not save people nor do they 
have anything to do with keeping them in 
the saved state. But they are desirable to 
enrich the life, enlarge the reward and to 
furnish evidence of salvation, for they are 
the FRUIT of salvation and not the CAUSE. 

7th. The unsaved man or woman can do 

( 15 ) 


226 


TWO OLD LETTERS. 


nothing at all acceptable to God ( Eepentance 
and faith are not works ) hence unconverted 
persons should sustain no relationship to the 
church whatever. None should receive the 
ordinance of baptism until they “Are dead 
and their lives are hid with Christ in God. ” 
Then they should be buried with Christ in 
Baptism, Colossians2: 12, never before. 


CHAPTER XXL 


When Captain Carter returned from church 
he found Prank reading, or rather thinking 
upon, the 5th Chapter of I Corinthians. 
His mind was especially fixed on the 5th 
verse and he at once enquired: 

‘ ‘Captain Carter, do you believe in falling 
from grace and being finally lost after we 
are really converted — children of God?” 

“I really do not, though I’m connected 
with a church ( so far as as I have any church 
connection) that teaches it.” 

“What church do you belong to?’ ’ 

* “Really I belong to none, but the Metho- 
dists got my name somehow on their book 


♦George was fond of society from boyhood, and had grown 
into formal church work without perfecting his membership. 


228 


TWO OLD LETTERS. 


(mother says I was mistaken about being 
sprinkled when a babe) and they regard me 
a member. I have held all sorts of official 
positions until I am disgusted with their 
looseness. Any way, every way, or no way 
at all is a broadness too wide for the elasti- 
city of my faith, and yet I go on in it just 
like you do — hunting for the new moon in a 
clear place when you know there is nothing 
to it.” 

“What are your views on falling from 
grace?” asked Prank. “I am really inter- 
ested on this subject. ” 

“Samson fell and kept on falling, ” replied 
George, “but he was not lost — that is, his 
sole was not lost. He was lost to his friends. 
They would have felt better if he never had 
been born. From a human standpoint he 
was lost to the cause of God, failed in his 
usefulness to man, and capped the climax of 
a life of dissipation by suicide. God has to 
save some of his children by giving them 
over to Satan for the ‘destruction of the 
flesh that the spirit may be saved in the day 
of the Lord Jesus.’ Please read those 
verses from the 5th Chapter of I Corinthi- 
ans again, and we will see how He does it. ” 
He read: 

1 It is reported commonly that there 
is fornication among you, and such for- 


TWO OLD LETTERS. 


229 


nication as is cot so much as named 
among the Gentiles, that one should 
have his father’s wife. 

2 And ye are puffed up, and have not 
rather mourned, that he that hath 
done this deed might be taken away 
from among you. 

3 For I verily, as absent in body, but 
present in spirit, have judged already, 
as though I were present, concerning 
him that hath so done this deed. 

4 In the name of our Lord Jesus 
Christ, when ye are gathered together, 
and my spirit, with the power of our 
Lord Jesus Christ. 

5 To deliver such an one unto Satan 
for the destruction of the flesh, that 
the spirit may be saved in the day of 
the Lord Jesus. 

“ That last verse settles it sure as fate,” 
said Frank. 

“Evidently this man was chastised and 
saved, but how do you know Samson was?” 
asked Frank not being familiar with the 
scriptures. 

“Turn there to Hebrews 11: 32 and you will 
find his name mentioned among those who 
were ‘saved by faith. ’ One may fall and lose 
much but if he is a child of God his spirit 
will be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus. 
The Holy Spirit says so. 

Mr. Carson made that plain in his sermon 
tonight. I never saw it so clearly and felt 


230 


TWO OLD LETTERS. 


such soul rest and comfort. I got his notes, 
and from them you will see that the ‘out- 
ward man’ and the ‘inward man’ are New 
Testament terms and form the key that un- 
locks, and opens up, the whole situation : 
Sin is never imputed to the ‘inward man’ 
after it is born of God: I. John 3: 9. 

9 Whosoever is born of God doth not 
commit sin; for his seeds remaineth in 
him: and he cannot sin, because he is 
born of God. 

Sin is always present with the ‘outward 
man’ till it goes into death, hence death is a 
terror to all. I John 1: 8-9-10. 

8 If we say that we have no sin, we 
deceive ourselves, and the truth is not 
in us. 

9 If we confess our sins, he is faith- 
ful and just to forgive us our sins, and 
to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 

10 If we say that we have not sinned 
we made him a liar, and his word is 
not in us. 

When you find passages of scripture that 
seem to teach that man is absolutely holy, 
sinless, perfect, the writer has his minds eye 
on the ‘inward man’ — the part that goes to 
Heaven. He, the ‘inward man’— must be 
perfect. 

The ‘outward man’ doesn’t go to Heaven 
because the fragments of depravity are in- 


TWO OLD LETTERS. 


231 


terwoven with it from ‘conception’ to the 
grave. ‘In sin did my mother conceive me. ’ 
Psalms, 51: 5, Paul shows the condition of 
the ‘outward man’ when we reach the grave 
and the change death makes on it to fit it 
for Heaven. I Corinthians 15: 42-43-44. 

42 So also is the resurrection of the 
dead. It is sown in corruption; it is 
raised in incorruption: 

43 It is sown in dishonour; it is raised 
in glory: it is sown in weakness; it is 
raised in power : 

44 It is sown a natural body; it is 
raised a spiritual body. There is a 
natural body, and there is a spiritual 
body. 

You see, Captain Gholston, from Mr. Car- 
son’s notes that it took a death and new life 
(which was followed by a burial and resurrec- 
tion, in a figure — baptism), to prepare the 
‘inward man’ for heaven. Now, in order to 
prepare the ‘outward man’ for heaven, there 
must be a death — a real, sure-enough death 
— followed by a real sure-enough resurrection 
of a spiritual body free from sin. 

The death of the ‘inward man’ and his re- 
surrection to ‘walk in newness of life’ took 
every vestige of sin out. The inward man 
therefore ‘cannot commit sin; and cannot be 
lost even when God delivers one to Satan for 
the destruction of the flesh or ‘outward man, ’ 


232 


TWO OLD LETTERS. 


as in the case of Samson, and the party 
mentioned in I Corinthians 5: 5. The devil 
influences God’s children wholly through the 
flesh which was begotten and born of earthly 
parents, but he cannot even touch the in- 
ward man who is begotten and born of God. 
I John 5: 18. 

18 We know that whosoever is born 
of God sinneth not ; but he that is be- 
gotten of God keepeth himself, and that 
wicked one toucheth him not. 

Colossians 3: 3-4. 

3 For ye are dead, and your life is hid 
with Christ in God. 

4 When Christ, who is our life, shall 
appear, then shall ye also appear with 
him in glory. 

“Hid?” Why hid? Where ‘hid,’ and from 
whom? My soul is so hidden away in God 
that the ‘wicked one’ toucheth it not. He 
cannot even find me (my soul) because I am 
hidden away in the infinite realm of God’s 
boundless love; he cannot touch me because 
he cannot invade its sacred precincts. He 
can pull Christ away as easily as he can 
tear away my soul, because Christ is hidden 
‘in God and I am hidden there with him. 
The devil will never see me — the ‘inward 
man’ — till I ‘appear with Christ in glory’ 
and that will be too late for his wicked 
designs on my soul. ‘I’m hid. ’ 


TWO OLD LETTERS. 


233 


He may touch the flesh, just as he touched 
Job’s flesh, and play havoc with every earth- 
ly interest — at least for the time, and on this 
account we are admonished to watch, pray and 
work but the soul is already saved — ready 
for heaven; and the body — ‘outward man’ — 
will be when death performs the office God 
assigned it, in the plan for bringing man, 
soul and body, into the kingdom of heaven. 

Please turn to the 7th Chapter of Romans 
and read the last ten verses and we will get 
a full explanation of the two fold nature of 
man from God’s inspired teacher. 

15 For that which I do I allow not : 
for what I would, that do I not: but 
what I hate, that do I. 

16 If then I do that which I Would 
not, I consent unto the law that it is 
good. 

17 Row then it is no more I that do 
it, but sin that dwelleth in me. 

18 For I know that in me (that is, in 
my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing: for 
to will is present with me: but how to 
preform that which is good I find not. 

19 For the good that I would I do 
not: but the evil which I would not, 
that I do. 

20 Row if I do that I would not, it is 
no more I that do it, but sin that 
dwelleth in me. 

21 I find then a law, that, when I 
would do good, evil is present with me. 


234 


TWO OLD LETTERS. 


22 For I delight in the law of God 
after the inward man: 

23 But I see another law in my mem- 
bers, warring against the law of my 
mind, and bringing me into captivity 
to the law of sin which is in my mem- 
bers. 

24 O wretched man that I am! who 
shall deliver me from the body of this 
death? 

25 I thank God through Jesus Christ 
our Lord. So then with the mind I 
myself serve the law of God; but with 
the flesh the law of sin. 

‘ ‘The logic is this, ’ * said George : 

“The inward man never incurse guilt 
after ‘the new birth, ’ and therefore is never 
lost.” John 3: 5-6-7. 

5 Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I 
say unto thee, Except a man be born of 
water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter 
into the kingdom of God. 

6 That which is born of flesh is flesh 
and that which is born of the Spirit is 
spirit. 

7 Marvel not that I said unto thee, 

Ye must be born again. 

The two fold man is brought to view in 
that 6th verse. 

( 1 ) A flesh birth makes the outward man. 

(2) A spirit birth makes the inward man. 
The first being ‘flesh and blood’ never goes 


TWO OLD LETTERS. 


235 


to heaven till after the change made on it by 
death. I Cor. 15: 

50 Now tliis I say, brethren, that 
flesh and blood cannot inherit the 
kingdom of God; neither doth corrup- 
tion inherit incorruption. 

“The second has passed death already. 
The change has already been made. When 
the soul died to sin and was made alive unto 
holiness it passed into a changeless relation- 
ship to God’s government hence never goes 
to hell. ” 

At that point George turned to get his 
Bible from a grip and in doing so dropped 
his mothers picture which was a mate to the 
one in the watch Uncle Jimmie had given 
Miss Hattie at his death. Frank recognized 
it instantly and asked : 

“Did you ever know Jimmie Malone?” 

“Was he an Irishman?” 

“Yes; one of the Simon-pure variety.” 

“A sailor?” 

“Yes. I heard him say that his last 
voyage was made on the ‘Martha M. Heath’ 
with Captain C. C. Heath.” 

“Did he once live in New Orleans?” 

“Yes. He was there at the close of the 
war.” George became serious as if in the 
very presence of death and felt assured that 
coming events were casting their shadows 
before. His mind ran back to that awful day 


236 


TWO OLD LETTERS. 


when he woke to consciousness in a boarding 
house on Magazine street in New Orleans, 
and saw Jimmie Malone with peach tree bush 
in hand watching at his bed side. He could 
see the old fashioned figures on the dingy 
wall paper and the broken plaster on the 
ceiling overhead as plainly, it seemed, as if 
they were then before him. His mind 
staggered under the weight of feeling en- 
gendered by these memories and he felt 
reason waning as on that awful occasion, 
and before he was aware he found himself 
clutching at every tangable thing in reach to 
keep from being swept away into what 
seemed an awful abyss. 

With an almost super human effort, Cap- 
tain Carter regained his composure enough 
to say: 

4 ‘Yes, I knew Jimmie and his picture is so 
indelibly fixed on the ‘tablets of enduring 
memory’ that, when I come to die, 1 expect 
to see his form on one side of my bed and 
that of my mother on the other though the 
body of both may have lain in the grave for 
a score of years. 

I was practically dead, just as many young 
men die in boarding houses for want of a few 
hours of vigorous attention at the right 
time, but that Irishman fought death back 
from me for seven days and nights when I 
could feel his cold, bony fingers grappling 


TWO OLD LETTERS. 


237 


with the vital cords that bound my immortal 
spirit to this tenement of clay. From time 
to time I recovered sufficiently for thought 
to throw a flickering light in to the dark do- 
main of my own sad soul and reveal my 
awful condition; and as the eye of expecta- 
tion glanced toward the future only to be- 
hold a cloud of impenetrable gloom whirled 
into wrathful convolutions by the raging- 
storm of what seemed to be an angry Pro- 
vidence, I pleaded for the hasty approach of 
death to relieve me of life which had grown 
to be a superlative burdon. But when I 
came to resign myself into the arms of fiery 
blackness held out for me by the King of 
Terrors to be borne off into the dark un- 
known without preparation to meet God in 
peace I could not get the consent of my 
mind to take the ‘leap in the dark’ and there 
I hung for days, not between hope and fear, 
for there was no hope, but between dread 
and terror. I grew colder and colder inspite 
of the hot bricks Jimmie had piled around 
me and he thought I would surely die. He 
fell on his knees and plead with the ‘Holy 
Mother’ (he was a Catholic) until I felt as if 
I must rally and live for his accommodation. 
He wanted the priest but compromised by 
sending for a young Baptist preacher by the 
name of Seymour who gave me this Testa- 
ment and these to tracts. The Testament 


238 


TWO OLD LETTERS. 


has been my salvation; the tracts have guided 
me in much thinking and I would not part 
from them for any consideration of an earth- 
ly character. 

But I want to ask you what you know 
about Jimmie? Where is he? Tell me all 
about him?” 

“Well, Jimmie, by some strange provi- 
dence, wandered into our home. He loved 
sister Hattie better than any person or thing 
on this earth and her devotion to him knew 
no limit. She gave up her position in 
school to nurse him in his last illness — . ” 

“You don’t mean to say he is dead,” inter- 
rupted George. 

“Yes he is dead; and when he came to 
divide his stuff (he called it administering on 
his estate) he gave sister a watch containing 
a mate to that picture which dropped from 
your Bible a moment ago and she recognized 
it instantly and learned from him all that 
you have just told me and much more, He 
left a tender message with sister for you in 
full confidence that someday you would come 
and get it, and died with her right hand on 
his brow clasping his left hand tightly in 
hers. He was the happiest mortal I ever 
saw, or expect to see this side of the shout- 
ing hosts on the hill tops of immortality. 
He verily believed that God sent him into 
our home to be nursed by sister and loved by 


TWO OLD LETTERS. 


239 


her because of his care for you, after he 
found out that she had known you, and I’m 
inclined to believe he was right — . ’ ’ 

“And Miss Hattie knows from him all 
about my trouble;” said George trembling 
from head to foot and crying like a — I came 
near saying baby, but I will say crying like a 
man , for it is manly to cry when the soul is 
moved by a worthy sentiment and swells 
with overflowing emotion. 

“No, she does not. She only knows about 
your sickness in New Orleans and why you 
gave Jimmie the watch but beyond that all 
is chaos to her. She knows there is some 
great misunderstanding some where and is 
simply dying by inches under the burden- 
some mystery.” 

By this time George had fallen into hyster- 
ical convulsions of laughter and tears — 
crying one moment, laughing the next. 
Mixing tears and smiles after the fashion 
of that strange mixture of joy and sorrow 
that had taken possession of his being as a 
result of this new disclosure. 


240 


TWO OLD LETTERS. 


A Helping Hand. 

If I should see 

A brother languishing in sore distress, 

And I should turn and leave him comfortless 
When I might be 

A messenger of hope and happiness— 

How could I ask what I denied 

In my own hour of bitterness supplied? 

If I might sing 

A little song to cheer a fainting heart 
And I should seal my lips and sit apart, 

When I might bring 

A bit of sunshine for life’s ache and smart— 
How could I hope to have my grief relieved 
If I kept silent when my brother grieved? 

And so I know 

That day is lost wherein I fail to lend 
A helping hand unto some wayward friend; 
But if it show 

A burden lightened by the cheer I sent, 

Then do I behold the golden hours well spent, 
And lay me down to rest in sweet content. 

— Edith V. Brandt, in The Lutheran. 


CHAPTER XXII. 

Captain Carter and Frank Gholston put in 
most of the night talking, and the thrilling 
events of 1861 to 1865 received a full share 
of the time. Each had a profound respect 
for the other. It is always so with brave 
men who fight each other in any war. The 
ill-feeling that outlives the battle, and imme- 
diate strife, is found only in the hearts of 
those who are destitute of manhood and 
valor, and were too cowardly to engage in 
actual combat. They are conscious of having 
done no service and feel called on to make a 
display somewhere, hence, vent their anger 
in words when the danger is all past. They 


( 16 ) 


242 


TWO OLD LETTERS. 


had both seen the kind of service that ‘ ‘try 
men's souls, ” and it was not necessary to 
fight the war over with their mouths like 
those who got to be captain of a home guard 
company (they are called “general” now) and 
murdered some old decrepit men in order 
that they might speak of blood, when they 
come to fight the war over in useless conver- 
sation in future years, to the disgust of all 
right thinking people. 

When about ready to start to Frank’s home 
next morning, Mrs. Stewart, the landlady, 
expressed hearty wishes for their comfort 
and a safe journey, to which Frank replied: 

“Thank you! The new moon is a little gone 
by, Friday is behind us for a week, and if we 
do not have to turn back for something or 
see a rabbit run across the road from right to 
left I think we shall get on nicely. ” 

Captain Carter accepted Frank’s little jest 
without comment, and they hastened to the 
carriage, now in waiting, to take them to the 
depot, for they had no time to spare. While 
snatching their grips and things from the 
vehicle, upon reaching the station, Frank 
exclaimed: 

“There! Sure as fate! I forgot my little 
grip containing my medicines and will have 
to go back myself after it. Aunt ’Cinda 
would call that bad luck. ” 

“Now, don’t lay your superstition off on 


TWO OLD LETTERS 


243 


’Cinda, ” said Captain Carter. “I find you are 
just as full of it as anybody, and this should 
teach us a lesson, viz: We are influenced in 
business, politics, social life and religion by 
prejudices that have grown up in our being, 
after we see and know there is not a shadow of 
reason for their existence or truth in them.” 

Captain Carter’s observation here is worthy 
of serious thought. The writer is 51 years 
old, and yet when Hallowe’en night comes 
around each year, the cold chills crawl up his 
spinal column after sun-down on account of 
those Scotch witch tales told by his grand- 
parents. There are thousands of Catholics 
who have come to knoio that it is a sin to 
trust things so purely earthy, and yet they 
will pay a nickel for a little rag called a 
“scapula” that looks very much like a pen- 
wiper, and pay the priest to bless it, after 
which they wear it around the neck to secure 
them against danger. It is a “burning 
shame” that so many religious teachers of 
the present day disregard principle upon 
which moral and intelligent beings should 
act and appeal to feelings aroused by family 
ties, and prejudices awakened by early influ- 
ences to secure deaf, dumb and blind adher- 
ence to their man-made systems. Matt. 23: 
15 . 

15 Woe unto you, scribes and Phari- 
sees, hypocrites! for ye compass sea and 


244 


TWO OLD LETTERS. 


land to make one proselyte, and when 
he is made, ye make him twofold more 
the child of hell than yourselves. 

It is a source of pain and regret to all 
right thinking people to see persons “rail- 
roaded” into church organizations by im- 
proper motives merely to enlarge the mem- 
bership and increase the social and financial 
interests of the congregation. 

A delay of 15 minutes in the arrival of the 
train gave Frank time to drive back and get 
his medicines and some papers which he had 
forgotten also, and return in time for the 
journey which seemed to George to be the 
most important of his life without any ex- 
ception. 

A “few hours run” without hitch or ac- 
cident brought them to their destination 
where in a few moments, a buggy was 
procured and George Carter found himself 
driving in the direction of Squire Gholston’s 
residence with Frank at his side well wrap- 
ped in a laprobe looking for all the world 
just like a sick man. This condition of 
things misled Hattie and she became pos- 
sessed of one thought only as they approach- 
ed, viz.: That Frank had grown worse 
and had run in home for nursing and medi- 
cal attention. She at once concluded that 
the man with him must, of necessity, be some 


TWO OLD LETTERS. 


245 


one who worked about the livery stable and 
gave him no attention whatever but ran to her 
brother all excited and exclaimed: 

“Brother Frank! Are you very sick dear? 
You have come so unexpectedly!” 

Ordinarily Frank was equal to any sort of 
an emergency, but this time he knew too 
much and his soul w^as in a strange quiver 
over the revelation that must follow in a 
moment. It was his custom to make a joke 
of everything and especially all that per- 
tained to love and courtship, but this time he 
broke down and began to cry like a baby. 
This further misled Hattie and she regarded 
him very sick and ordered the supposed 
livery stable man to get out and help her get 
him into his room. 

Both men sat motionless and speechless 
until the situation became literally awful, 
and Hattie once more spoke to the driver 
and requested his assistance in getting her 
brother to his room. Her attention was 
then directed to the man who held the lines 
and she found herself looking Captain 
George Carter full in the face. She was not 
of the fainting sort, and if she had been, 
George was up in the buggy and she could 
not have fallen into his arms so she just ex- 
tended her hand to Mr, Carter, laid her head 
down on her brother Frank’s lap, he bend- 
ing forward over her and the three sobbed 


246 


TWO OLD LETTERS. 


in silent joy until Mrs. Gholston came out 
and pulled them all apart to ascertain the 
cause of the strange procedure. 

Miss Hattie and Captain Carter were alone 
in the parlor in a very short time, where 
everything was explained and arrangements 
made for a quiet little wedding four days 
later, when they began life anew with bright 
hopes before them. If possible, ’Cinda was 
the happiest one in the entire household, 
while Hattie kissed her old black face and 
said : 

“Aunt ’Cinda, ‘the feeling in your bones’ 
was a real prophecy after all.” 

Dr. Dunn was their pastor yet and was 
called on to officiate. He had forgotten 
Hattie’s views on joining the church and 
said: 

“Now, Miss Hattie you want to get Cap- 
tain Carter into the church at once while 
you have him under your influence.” 

Her eyes flashed with indignation border- 
ing on anger as she replied: 

“Dr. Dunn, is it a fact that Methodist 
preachers never think of principal in their 
efforts to secure members? Does a low, 
mean, motive serve just as well as a high 
and lofty purpose when it answers your 
desire and gets one more member? 

I would heartly despise Mr. Carter if he 
were to throw away all principle and join 


TWO OLD LETTERS. 


247 


church to please me, or even if he were 
to join the church of his choice merely be- 
cause a new wife requested it. I have a 
higher respect for him and certainly a 
higher regard for religion than you think. 
Your request, Mr. Dunn, falls just a trifle 
short of an insult. I long to see the day 
when Methodists will not stoop to such 
motives to secure members, for one who 
joins from such unworthy motives will 
necessarily esteem his membership lightly. ” 
Pressing business compelled only a short 
visit to Pennsylvania and a return to the 
south where they have since lived. 


248 


TWO OLD LETTERS, 


Three Words of Strength. 

There are three lessons I would write. 

Three words as with a burning pen, 

In tracings of eternal light 
Upon the hearts of men: 

Have Hope. Though clouds environ round. 

And Gladness hides her face in scorn, 

Put off the shadow from thy brow, 

No night but hath its morn. 

Have Faith. Where’er thy bark is driven, 

The calm’s disport, the tempest’s mirth 
Know this, God rules the host of Heaven, 

The inhabitants of earth. 

Have Love. Not love alone for one; 

But man, as man, thy brother call, 

And scatter, like the circuling sun, 

Thy charities on all. 

Thus grave these lessons on thy soul, 

Hope, Faith and Love, and thou slialt find, 
Strength when life’s surges rudest roll, 

Light when thou else wert blind. 

Joliann C. F. Schiller. 


CHAPTER XXIII. 


Two years, nearly, of perfect happiness 
passed without events calling for attention 
in this connection. At the end of this period 
George Carter, Jr., came into the family, 
bringing new joys and responsibilities to the 
happy parents. 

Hattie and George had gone on regularly 
to the Methodist church since their marriage 
each supposing the other perfectly satisfied 
with its doctrines, and each willing to sac- 
rifice much personal opinion rather than an- 
tagonize the other, ’til the new preacher 
pressed on them the duty of having George 
Carter, Jr., sprinkled. 


250 


TWO OLD LETTERS. 


Captain Carter resolved not to have the 
new baby boy sprinkled, and, desiring not to 
antagonize his wife, he began to work 
schemes for delay. Mrs. Carter was in ex- 
actly the same state of mind, though her 
feelings were not known to her husband, and 
therefore, it was an easy matter to find ex- 
cuses for deferring the “great duty,” as the 
preacher called it, 'til he felt called on to 
preach a sermon on the subject for the 
benefit of several families who were living 
in neglect of this obligation. 

He admitted in the outset that infant 
baptism was not mentioned in any manner 
whatever in the New Testament or practiced 
by Christ or the Apostles or the early 
Christians, but that Mr. Wesley and other 
wise preachers had incorporated it into the 
Methodist church and the “vow” of every 
Methodist hung like a millstone about his 
neck until this duty was performed. 

He went on to show that Adam’s children 
were with him in the Edemic Church, 
Abraham’s children were with him in the 
Abrahamic Church, and the Jewish Church 
took the children in at eight days old. This 
was a telling argument on the audience and 
in the midst of tears two babies were im- 
pulsively carried forward for that sacred 
(? ) rite, while Captain Carter sat motionless 


TWO OLD LETTERS. 


251 


as a statue with George Jr. in his arms in the 
old village church. 

Upon their return home, Mrs. Garter said: 

“Mr. Carter, I wish you wmild take that 
Bible, turn to the index and find all the 
verses that mention, in any way, the Edemic, 
Abrahamic and Jewish churches so that we 
can study them immediately after dinner, for 
I just cannot wait. ” 

“It is no use dear” replied George, “for I 
have looked time and again for these insti- 
tutions and they are not there. ” 

“Do you mean to say that one of our in- 
telligent preachers will make more than half of 
his sermon out of imaginary church organi- 
zations that never had the semblance of 
existence?” 

“I only mean to say that the scripture, in 
no way hints at an ‘Edemic’, ‘Arbrahamic,’ or 
‘Jewish’ church, yet when one of our preach- 
ers makes a sermon on infant baptism it is 
principally built on these imaginary organiza- 
tions. ” 

“Shall we have the baby sprinkled?” 
asked Mrs. Carter with much feeling. 

“Not ’til we see some scripture for it,” 
replied he, with his usual emphasis. 

“You’ll never see one verse that remotely 
hints at it, ” said Hattie, “for I have read the 
Old and New Testaments through, pencil in 


252 


TWO OLD LETTERS. 


hand, hunting for even a hint and failed to find 
one.” 

At this point each became acquainted with 
the other’s views on church doctrine, and 
found that their investigations had been 
strangely directed along the same lines with, 
similar results; but strangely enough they 
quietly went along in the Methodist church 
for four more years utterly repudiating al- 
most everything taught and practiced by 
that organization. 

In the meantime, Mr. and Mrs. Carter 
planned a trip to Pennsylvania, which com- 
bined business with pleasure in regular 
yankee fashion, and they were soon off for 
Memphis, Tennessee, where George had to 
adjust some accounts with a firm that had 
failed in business while holding, on con- 
signment, some of his goods. 

They registered for a few days at the old 
Gayoso Hotel, and in full view of their 
window stood a saloon kept by the very man 
who owned the one in which George had 
formerly worked four days as porter. 

Seeing an old man hobbling in the direc- 
tion of the saloon, having familiar look and 
movement, George called the attention of 
Mrs. Carter to his dress, manner and ap- 
pearance. They walked down and crossed 
the street and met him on his return. He 
was clothed in rags; crutch under one arm 


TWO OLD LETTERS. 


253 


and stick in the other hand, black and dirty 
with his haggard face and blood shotten 
eyes all testifying to his life of abandonment 
and dissipation. He was not the man George 
expected to meet, but proved to be one 
whom he was glad to see and to whom he 
readily introduced Mrs. Carter, viz: Major 
Saffin. 

He insisted on telling them of his mis- 
fortunes, but George stopped him by saying: 

“Major, I know by personal experience 
that one word will tell it and that word is 
‘drink.’ You are mistaken about the last 
time you saw me;” said George, in reply to 
a remark of the majors. “The last time 
you saw me, I was porter in the old 
saloon down by Mrs. Cafery’s boarding house 
but that very day I stepped down and out of 
that service, lest you should recognize me 
the next time you came, and because I saw 
that I was headed for ruin.” 

Mrs. Carter was holding their second baby 
boy in her arms. The old man patted his 
tender face, and said : 

“Is it possible, I was ever innocent like 
that babe?” 

Captain Carter, filled with a strange mix- 
ture of sadness and joy, quickly replied: 

“Yes, major, and may be again,” taking 
from his vest pocket some references that 
helped him when in the same fix. 


254 


TWO OLD LETTERS. 


Rev. 7: 14. 

14 These are they which washed 
their robes and made them white in 
blood of the Lamb. 

Isa. 1: 18. 

18 White as snow. 

Psalms 2: 7. 

7 Whiter than the snow. 

Rev. 3: 4. 

4 They shall walk with Me in white. 

I Thes. 4: 17. 

17 And so shall we ever be with the 
Lord. 

I John 1: 7. 

7 But if we walk in the light, as he is 
in the light, we have fellowship one 
with another, and the blood of Jesus 
Christ his son cleanseth us from all sin. 

These scriptures worked a miracle in the 
old man’s life. He gave his heart to God, 
left off the habit that had made a total wreck 
of his earthly life and waited in joyous ex- 
pectation ’til death relieved him of a 
miserable existence on this earth. Truly 
“the mercy of God is past finding out.’’ 

They stopped at several West Tennessee 
towns and landed at Dyersburg for a Sunday 


TWO OLD LETTERS, 


255 


layover, and hearing of an association a 
few miles in the country, concluded to drive 
out and see how the Baptists did things. A 
young preacher by the name of *J. G. Doyle 
(now 1901), Secretary S. S. Work, Argenta, 
Ark., ) preached at 11 a. m., and his sermon 
was the “last feather” for Mr. and Mrs. 
Carter, for immediately after their return to 
the south, they joined the Baptist Church and 
were baptized, Squire Gholston, now an old 
man was baptized on the same day while every 
body conceded ’Cinda the right to walk up 
and down the creek bank and shout for joy. 

John 17: 20-21. 

Neither pray I for these alone, but for 
them also which shall believe on me through 
their word; 

That they may all be one; as thou, Father, 
art in me, and I in thee, that they also may 
be one in us; that the world may believe that 
the thou hast sent me. 

The subject that I have for discussion this 
morning, is to my mind, one of very great 
importance. 

I am to talk to you about “Christian 
Union. ” What I mean by Christian Union 
is that kind of union for which our Savior 
prayed as recorded in my text. “That they 
all may be one; as thou, Father, art in me 
and I in thee, that they also may be one in 

*The following is a copy of the old manuscript used on 
that memorable occasion by Mr. Doyle and furnished by him 
for this book. 


258 


TWO OLD LETTERS. 


us: that the world may believe that thou 
hast sent me.” 

I will state the proposition in these words: 

1. It is the Will of Christ, Our Saviour, That all 
His People be One. 

There are many reasons why Christians 
should be united, but to my mind, no reason 
should have greater weight than the fact 
that Jesus would have it so. He not only 
prays for it in my text, but in the 10th 
chapter and 16th verse of John he says 
positively it shall be so. “And other sheep 
I have which are not of this fold: them also 
I must bring, and they shall hear my voice; 
and there shall be one fold and one shepherd. ” 

It is sad to see the Christian world divide. 
It is a sadder sight to see them arrayed 
against each other, wasting precious time 
and much energy that ought to be spent in 
the great battle against sin. 

God knew there would be evils enough in 
the world to fight and sin enough to be 
overcome, to require all our time and all our 
force without wasting precious time and 
losing golden opportunities fighting and 
contending against each other. I feel like 
calling on this great audience today (espec- 
ially all who believe on the dear Savior and 
are children of His) td go with me helping to 
bring about an answer to this lingering 
prayer. 

The Christian world, divided and warring 
with each other, is a sad picture, especially if 
we look on the dark side of it. It looks like 
the fulfillment of our Savior’s words: “Think 
not that I am come to send peace on earth; 


TWO OLD LETTERS. 


257 


I came not to send peace, but a sword.” 
Our sword, however, is the “Sword of the 
Spirit” and we are to use it. “Not against 
flesh and blood, but against principalities, 
against power, against the rulers of the 
darkness of this world, against spiritual 
wickedness in high places.” Jesus would 
not have us divided and contending against 
each other. No, rather he would pray that 
we might be one. 

I shall try to look on the brighter side of 
this picture today. Let us take the most 
hopeful view of the situation. 

Of course, I speak only of Evangelical 
Christians — those who believe in the regen- 
eration taught in the Bible, when I say the 
indications are hopeful and we are nearer 
one than we have been taught to believe. 
We are not so far apart as many would 
have us believe. I believe that an impartial 
investigation will reveal the agreeable fact 
that we are much nearer together than we 
have ever been taught to believe ourselves. 

I am going to make the astonishing 
statement that we are separated only by 
non-essentials. That the things which 
divide us and keep us apart are things which 
we, ourselves, admit to be of no essential 
importance. 

I am going to submit a proposition upon 
which I believe we can unite and no one 
shall make any sacrifice or lose anything 
except it be something which he himself 
admits to be a non-essential. 

About the great essential elements in our 
religion we are not divided. It is the non- 
essentials that keep us apart. Let us throw 

( 17 ) 


258 


TWO OLD LETTERS. 


these non-essentials to the moles and bats. 
Why should I cherish and hold to an article 
in my creed which cause division and strife 
among God’s people, if I admit myself that 
it has no essential importance? I make no 
sacrifice and I lose nothing that is of any 
worth to me, when I throw it away. 

You may think it strange but it is true, 
nevertheless, if we will throw away the 
dividing elements in our religion, which we, 
ourselves, admit to be non-essential, we will 
be together and our Savior’s prayer will be 
answered “Father make them one.” I said 
when we come to the essential elements in 
our holy religion we are not divided. We 
can every one subscribe to, and do subscribe 
to, every article in each others creeds which 
we ourselves believe to be essential to our 
salvation. 

Let us then, throw away the elements 
which divide us, provided we, ourselves, 
admit them to be non-essentials. 

There are a great many things about 
which we all agree, and which we all believe 
and there are some things about which we 
do not agree. 

I believe the things about which we agree 
are the essentials and the things about which 
we differ are the non-essentials. Let us see. 

1. We agree about the scriptures. 

We believe that the Holy Bible was written 
by men divinely inspired, and is a perfect 
treasure of heavenly instruction: that it has 
God for its author, salvation for its end, and 
truth wirhout any mixture of error, for its 
matter; that it reveals the principles by 


TWO OLD LETTERS. 


259 


which God will judge us; and therefore is, 
and shall remain to the end of the world, the 
true center of Christian union, and the 
supreme standard by which all human con- 
duct, creeds, and opinions should be tried. 

2. We agree about the TRUE GOD. 

We believe that there is one, and only one 
living true God, an infinite, intelligent, 
Spirit, whose name is Jehovah, the Maker 
and Supreme Ruler of heaven and earth; 
inexpressibly glorious in holiness, and 
worthy of all possible honor, confidence and 
love; that in the unity of the Godhead there 
are three persons, the Father, the Son, and 
the Holy Ghost; equal in every divine per- 
fection, and executing distinct but harmoni- 
ous offices in the great work of redemption. 

3. We agree about THE FALL OF MAN. 

We believe that man was created in holi- 
ness, under the law of his Maker; but by 
voluntary transgression fell from that holy 
and happy state; in consequence of which all 
mankind are now sinners, not by constraint 
but choice; being by nature utterly void of 
that holiness required by the law of God, 
positively inclined to evil; and therefore 
under just condemnation to eternal ruin 
without defense or excuse. 

4. We agree about THE WAY OF 
SALVATION. 

We believe that the salvation of sinners is 
wholly of grace; through the meditorial 
offices of the Son of God; who by the ap- 


260 


TWO OLD LETTERS. 


pointment of the Father freely took upon 
him our nature, yet without sin; honored 
the divine law by his personal obedience, 
and by his death made a full atonement for 
our sins; that having risen from the dead he 
is now enthroned in heaven; and uniting in 
his wonderful person the tenderest sympa- 
thies with divine perfections, he is every way 
qualified to be a suitable, a compassionate, 
and all-sufficient Saviour. 

5. We agree about JUSTIFICATION. 

We believe that the great gospel blessing 
which Christ secures to such as believe in 
him is Justification; Justification includes the 
pardon of sin, and the promise of eternal 
life on principles of righteousness; that it 
is bestowed, not in* consideration of any 
works of righteousness which we have done, 
but solely through faith in the Redeemer’s 
blood; by virtue of which faith his perfect 
righteousness is freely imputed to us of God; 
that it brings us into a state of most blessed 
peace and favor with God, and secures every 
other blessing needful for time and eternity. 

6. We agree about THE FREENESS OF 
SALVATION. 

We believe that the blessings of salvation 
are made free to all by the gospel; that it is 
the immediate duty of all to accept them by 
cordial, penitent, and obedient faith; and 
that nothing prevents the salvation of the 
greatest sinner on earth but his own in- 
herent depravity and voluntary rejection of 


TWO OLD LETTERS. 


261 


the gospel; which rejection involves him in 
an aggravated condemnation. 

7. We agree about REGENE RATION. 

We believe that, in order to be saved, 
sinners must be regenerated or born again; 
that regeneration consists in giving a holy 
disposition to the mind; that it is effected, in 
a manner above our comprehension, by the 
power of the Holy Spirit in connection with 
divine truth, so as to secure our voluntary 
obedience to the gospel; and that its proper 
evidence appears in the holy fruits of re- 
pentance and faith and newness of life. 

8. We agree about REPENTANCE AND 
FAITH. 

We believe that Repentance and Faith are 
sacred duties, and also inseparable graces 
wrought in our souls by the regenerating 
Spirit of God; whereby, being deeply con- 
vinced of our guilt, danger and helplessness 
and of the way of salvation by Christ, we 
turn to God with unfeigned contrition, con- 
fession, and supplication for mercy; at the 
same time heartily receiving the Lord Jesus 
Christ as our Prophet, Priest, and King, and 
relying on him alone as the only and all- 
sufficient Saviour. 

9. We agree about GOD’S PURPOSE OF 
GRACE. 

We believe that Election is the eternal pur- 
pose of God, according to which he graciously 
regenerates, sanctifies, and saves sinners; 
that being perfectly consistent with the free 


262 


TWO OLD LETTERS. 


agency of man, it comprehends all the means 
in connection with the end; that it is a most 
glorious display of God’s soverign goodness, 
being infinitely free, wise, holy and un- 
changeable; that it utterly excludes boasting 
and promotes humility, love, prayer praise, 
trust in God, and active imitation of his free 
mercy; that it encourages the use of means in 
highest degree; that it may be ascertained by 
its effects in all who truly believe the gospel; 
that it is the foundation of Christian as- 
surance; and that to ascertain it with regard 
to ourselves demands and deserves the 
utmost diligence. 

10. We agree about *SANCTIFICATION. 

We believe that Sanctification is the pro- 
cess by which according to the will of God, 
we are made partakers of his holiness; that 
it is a progressive work; that it is begun in 
regeneration ; and that it is carried on in the 
hearts of believers by the presence and 
power of the Holy Spirit the Sealer and Com- 
forter, in the continual use of the appointed 
means, especially the word of God, self-ex- 
amination, self-denial, watchfulness, and 
prayer. 

11. We agree about THE PERSEVER- 
ANCE OF SAINTS. 

We believe that such only are real be- 
lievers as endure unto the end; that their 
persevering attachment to Christ is the grand 
mark which distinguishes them from super- 
ficial professors; that a special Providence 

*Tbis sermon was preached before the modern sanctifica- 
tion theory sprang up in the Methodist demonstratiooD. 


TWO OLD LETTERS. 


263 


watches over their welfare; and that they 
are kept by the power of God through faith 
unto salvation. 

12. We agree about THE HARMONY OF 
THE LAW AND THE GOSPEL. 

We believe that the Law of God is the 
eternal and unchangeable rule of his moral 
government; that is holy, just, and good; 
and that the inability which the Scriptures 
ascribe to fallen men to fulfill its precepts 
arises entirely from their love of sin; to 
deliver them from which, and to restore 
them through a Mediator to unfeigned 
obedience to the holy Law, is one great end 
of the gospel, and of the means of grace con- 
nected with the establishment of the visible 
church. 

13. We agree about A GOSPEL CHURCH, 

We believe that a visible church of Christ 
is a congregation of baptized believers, as- 
sociated by covenant in the faith and fellow- 
ship of the gospel; observing the ordinances 
of Christ; governed by his laws; and exer- 
cising the gifts, rights, and privileges in- 
vested in them by his word; that its only 
scriptural officers are Bishops, or Pastors, 
and Deacons, whose qualifications, claims, 
and duties are defined in the epistles to 
Timothy and Titus. 

14. We agree about THE CHRISTIAN 
SABBATH. 

We believe that the first day of the week is 
the Lord’s Day or Christian Sabbath; and is 


264 


TWO OLD LETTERS. 


to be kept sacred to religious purposes, by 
abstaining from all secular labor and sinful 
recreations; by the devout observance of all 
the means of grace, both private and public; 
and by preparation for that rest that remain - 
eth for the people of God. 

15. We agree about CIVIL GOVERN- 
MENT. 

We believe that civil government is of 
divine appointment, for the interests ' and 
good order of human society; and that mag- 
istrates are to be prayed for, conscientious- 
ly honored, and obeyed; except only in 
things opposed to the will of our Lord Jesus 
Christ, who is the only Lord of the con- 
science, and the Prince of the kings of the 
earth. 

16. We agree about THE RIGHTEOUS 
AND THE WICKED. 

We believe that there is a radical and es- 
sential difference between the righteous and 
the wicked; that such only as through faith 
are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, 
and sanctified by the Spirit of our God, are 
truly righteous in his esteem; while all such 
as continue in impenitence and unbelief are 
in his sight wicked, and under the curse; and 
this distinction holds among men both in and 
after death. 

17. We agree about THE WORLD TO 
COME. 

We believe that the end of the word is ap- 
proaching; that at the last day Christ will 


TWO OLD LETTERS. 


265 


descend from heaven, and raise the dead 
from the grave to final retribution; that a 
solemn separation will then take place; that 
the wicked will be adjudged to endless pun- 
ishment, and the righteous to endless joy; 
and that this judgment will fix forever the 
final state of men in heaven or hell, on 
principles of righteousness. 

Now I submit that there is not an essential 
feature in the foregoing statements of belief, 
which we cannot and do not all believe, and 
to which we can not most heartily subscribe. 

The denomination to which a preacher be- 
longs would not be known from a sermon he 
would preach embracing his belief of any 
of these essential features. Especially is 
this true of Methodists, Baptists, Presby- 
terians, and Congregationalists. Do you 
know, my friends, why we all agree so nearly 
on all these points? It is because they are 
of essential importance. We do not quarrel 
over the essential features in religion. It is 
the non-essentials that divide us and keep us 
divided. 

There are some things, however, about 
which we do not agree. But I believe a 
careful examination of these “points of 
difference” will reveal the fact that we, our- 
selves, do not regard them as of any essen- 
tial importance. I submit that there is not 
a single article that stands as a dividing el- 
ement in any of our creeds which we, our- 
selves, will claim to be essential to the soul’s 
salvation. 

The manifest duty of every one of us then, 
is to throw the non-essentials to the moles 
and bats and cease to wrangle over things 


266 


TWO OLD LETTERS. 


which we, ourselves, do not claim to be 
essential. We cannot afford to sacrifice a 
principle. If there are “points of difference’ ’ 
that either of us regard as essential to sal- 
vation we ought not, and cannot afford, to 
throw them away. But if I hold to an arti- 
cle of belief, about which I know God’s 
people are divided, and I know it prevents 
Christian Union, and helps to keep God’s 
children apart and I admit myself that it is 
a non-essential, I do maintain that it is my 
duty to throw it away. 

Let us, then, look at some things about 
which we do not agree. If they are essential 
let us hold to them, if they are non-essen- 
tials let us throw them away. 

1. We Differ About Baptism. 

Now let us examine this subject and if 
there is anything about which we differ, if it 
is essential let us hold to it, if non-essential 
let us throw it away. 

We do not differ about immersion. No de- 
nomination of Christians denies that immer- 
sion is baptism. We all believe, receive, 
and practice it. It is found in all our Arti- 
cles of Faith, Diciplines, Creeds, and Con- 
fessions of Faith. Admitted by all, and 
denied by none. To hold to immersion, 
therefore, is no sacrifice to any. To throw 
it away would be a sacrifice upon the part of 
those who believe it to be essential to bap- 
tism and we do not ask any one to throw 
away that which he regards as essential. 

2. We Differ about Sprinkling and Pouring. 


TWO OLD LETTERS. 


267 


I grant that here is an honest difference, 
that the man who believes that baptism may 
be administered by sprinkling or pouring, is 
just as honest as the man who believes in 
exclusive immersion. But no man believes 
that either sprinkling or pouring is essential 
to baptism. All agree that baptism may be 
rightly administered by immersion. There- 
fore the man who believes in sprinkling and 
pouring does not believe it to be essential 
either to salvation or to baptism, as men are 
saved without baptism and baptism may be 
administered without sprinkling or pouring. 

Now as those who hold to sprinkling and 
pouring admit that neither is essential, 
either to salvation or to baptism, let’s throw 
sprinkling and pouring away, which leaves 
us united on immersion, about which we are 
all agreed. 

3. We Differ about Infant Baptism. 

We do not differ about Believer’s Baptism. 
We all agree that believers baptism is taught 
in the Bible. We may, therefore, retain be- 
liever’s baptism, since it is an article about 
which we do not differ but a point upon 
which we all agree. 

We differ about infant baptism, and here, 
too, I grant is an honest difference. I grant 
that the man who holds to infant baptism 
( although he knows he never saw it) honest- 
ly believes it is taught in the Bible. He is 
honest in the opinion that he can explain it 
to his own satisfaction, if not to the satisfac- 
tion of those who hear him. 

But when he has made his strongest argu- 
ment and preached his biggest sermon, he, 


268 


TWO OLD LETTERS. 


himself, admits that infant baptism is a non- 
essential. Our Methodist and Presbyterian 
brethren, while the doctrine of baptismal re- 
generation to infants may be taught in their 
standards do not believe that the salvation of 
their infant children, in any way, depends 
upon their being baptized. They have out- 
grown their standards. 

Since infant baptism divides us and keeps 
us divided, and inasmuch as those who hold 
and practice it admit that it is a non-essen- 
tial, let us throw infant baptism away. This 
will leave us only believer’s baptism, wdnch 
we all believe is taught in the Bible and about 
which we are all agreed. 

This would require the sacrifice of no prin- 
ciple, and no one is called upon to give up 
anything except it be something which he, 
himself, admits to be a non-essential. 

4. We differ about Falling from Grace. 

I am not here to call in question the integ- 
rity of the man who does not believe as I do. 
I would not impeach the honor or speak light- 
ly of the sincerity of the man whose opinion 
is different from mine; but I do maintain that 
if I hold an opinion that causes division and 
strife among God’s people, that it is pure 
stubbornness upon my part if I do not throw 
it away, provided I admit, myself, that it is 
of no essential importance, and when I know 
by throwing it away I am helping in the 
great cause of Chris tian Union, for which 
Jesus prayed in my text. 

Now, let us notice this point of difference. 
It is falling from grace we differ about. We 
do not differ about the ultimate salvation of 


TWO OLD LETTERS. 


269 


the redeemed of God who ‘ ‘hold out faithful 
to the end.” 

We all believe that those who are kept by 
the power of God, through faith unto salva- 
tion ready to be revealed in the last time, 
will ultimately get home to heaven. But 
there are those, I admit, who honestly believe 
that a Christian may fall from grace and be 
forever lost. 

This, I admit to be an honest difference, 
and I also admit that the man who believes it 
is as honest in his opinion as I am in mine 

But here, too, when he has made his strong- 
est argument and preached his greatest ser- 
mon — when he has exhausted his ability to 
prove, he will turn around and tell you him- 
self, that Falling from Grace is a non-essen- 
tial. That Falling from Grace never saved 
anybody, and that no man has to fall from 
grace to be saved. One may believe it or not 
and get to Heaven just the same. 

Then, if falling from grace is not necessary 
to salvation and the man who holds it admits, 
himself, that it is a non-essential and it is in 
the way of Christian Union and helps to keep 
up division and strife, let us throw it away 
and all will be left united upon the ultimate 
salvation of those who are kept by the power 
of God through faith unto salvation. 

5. We differ about the Establishment and 
Government of the Church. We do not differ 
about the church being a Divine Institution. 
We all believe that the origin and Govern- 
ment of the Church of Christ is of Divine 
Appointment, and that the Bible should be the 
only and all-sufficient rule of our faith and 


270 


TWO OLD LETTERS. 


practice . We differ about the Churches, 
Creeds, Disciplines and Confessions of Faith 
that are of human origin and by human ap- 
pointment. And I admit that there are those 
who honestly believe that these are not 
condemned by the word of God. They find 
in them a congenial home and claim that 
through them much good is accomplished. 

Those who thus believe tell us that all 
Evangelical Churches are good, and that 
there are good and bad in all churches. 
That it makes no difference what a man be- 
lieves, or what church he belongs to, so his 
heart is right. Each one will tell you that 
his church is not essential to the salvation of 
the soul, to the administration or preserva- 
tion of the ordinances or to the preaching or 
preservation of the Gospel. That souls are 
saved, that the ordinances are administered, 
and the Gospel is preached outside the pale 
and beyond the influence of the church to 
which he belongs. 

Now I maintain that it would require no 
sacrifice upon the part of these to throw 
away these non-essential institutions, Human 
Creeds, Disciplines and Confessions of Faith, 
and join with the Baptists, who believe that 
their churches are of Divine Appointment, 
Originated with Christ and the Apostles and 
are essential to the preaching of a whole 
gospel and to the proper administration of 
the ordinances, while they claim to have no 
Human Creed, but to hold to the Bible alone, 
about which we are all agreed, as their only 
rule of faith and practice. 

Baptists will then throw away their close 
communion, and at least so far as Evange- 


TWO OLD LETTERS. 


271 


lical Christianity is concerned, there will be 
“One fold and one Shepherd.” 

This would be a great move in the direc- 
tion of Christian Union. It can be brought 
about without the sacrifice of a single prin- 
ciple upon the part of any one, or the giving 
up of a single essential article of belief. If 
we don’t do it, it will be because we think more 
of the non-essentials in our chosen creeds 
than we think of Christian Union or the 
answer to our Saviour’s prayer, 

“Father, make them one.” 

Note. If the creeds get their matter and forms from the 
New Testament, then those church organizations that have 
man-made books-CREKDS-ought to use the New Testament 
instead. 

If they contain matter and forms not found in the Scrij>- 
tures, then they are wrong and it is a sin to use them. 


272 


TWO OLD LETTERS. 


A Song of Sunshine. 

Sing a song of sunshine, sing it from the heart, 

Life is filled with sweetness when Love forms a part; 
Sighs and tears forever sue h a song will drown, 

Brighten up the pathway, drive away the frown. 

All the world will greet you as you pass along, 

If there’s smiles and sunshine ever in your song. 

Sing a song of sunshine! Every rippling rill 
Will repeat the message from each verdant hill. 

In the fertile valleys, where the blossoms blow, 

And the gentle breezes softly come and go, 

Love repeats the message, sings it, rings it clear— 

Just a song of sunshine, filling hearts with cheer. 

Sing a song of sunshine everywhere you go, 

Through the heat of summer, through the chilling snow; 
Sing it when the sunbeams dance about your head, 

Sing it when the shadows ’round you are o’erspread; 
Sing it at the noontime; sing it in the night, 

Flooding all the darkness with a glory bright. 

Sing a song of sunshine, though the stormy skies 
Hide the blue of heaven where its glory lies; 

Sing it with a meaning through life’s darkest days, 

Sing it with a gladness on the rough highways; 

Sing it to the saddened heart that’s sore oppressed, 

Sing it to the weary one who’s seeking rest. 

Just a song of sunshine! Let it flood the heart, 

And of life’s completeness let it from a part. 

Sing it, though it cost you hours of grief and pain, 

You will reap a harvest deep of golden grain. 

Oh, the joy and comfort you through life may know, 
With a song of sunshine everywhere you go. 

E. A. Bvininstool. 


CHAPTER XXIV. 

Mr. Kent, the pastor of the Methodist 
church, was at the Gholston residence early 
Monday morning. The baby clothes, and 
other things common to a nursery were 
scattered about the room in a regular Mon- 
day morning tangle, but being a preacher 
and having no fire in the parlor, Mr. Kent 
was invited right into the family room. 

He knew how to be affable and pleasant, 
and he lost no time in talking up to the 
subject that caused his early visit. 

“By the way,” he said, “I want to con- 
gratulate you on being immersed, yesterday.” 

Mrs. Carter was polite and even tempered 


( 18 ) 


274 


TWO OLD LETTERS. 


ordinarly, but this early call annoyed, and 
his remark exasperated her, beyond control, 
for she did not believe him to be sincere in 
what he said about being pleased at their 
being immersed. 

“Why did you not say ‘baptized’ instead of 
‘immersed’ ” ? asked Mrs. Carter, greatly to 
the embarrasment of the preacher. He was 
not ready for the question. 

“You know, Mrs. Carter, that we Metho- 
dists are not hidebound and bigoted, but, on 
the contrary, are broad, courteous and 
liberal. We believe that sprinkling or pour- 
ing or immersion, either, is baptism accord- 
ing to the choice of the person to be 
baptized.” 

“I never did believe that the choice of an 
ignorant man or woman, or a wise one as for 
that, could change the form, or act of 
baptism, seeing Jesus told us what the act 
was in a plain command.’ ’ 

“We have charity for the views of every 
body,” said the preacher. 

“I know that, and do not like it. Meth- 
odism is just what the sentiment of any given 
period makes it. It grows along with the 
changing sentiment of the times. When the 
General Conference meets, they change it to 
suit the ‘views of everybody. ’ ’ ’ 

“Charity rejoiceth in the truth,” I Cor- 


TWO OLD LETTERS. 


275 


inthians 13: 6, “and not in changing the 
truth to suit peoples views. ” 

“I notice, with all your liberality, (?) Mr. 
Kent, you never call immersion baptism. 
You congratulate us on being ‘immersed.’ 
Why did you not say baptized?” 

“I do not think, Mrs. Carter, that we have 
any reason for using the word that way, 
except that all scholars and authorities give 
the preference to sprinkling as the more ac- 
curate mode of baptism. ” 

“That is another thing I have noticed for 
years. You all say that ‘scholars and 
authorities’ give sprinkle and pour as the 
more accurate definitions of the word baptize, 
and just the opposite of this statement is the 
truth. I really want to think that you 
preachers have said it so often that you have 
grown to believe it is true, but I know and 
you can know that it is not. ” 

“Beg pardon, Mrs. Carter, but where on 
earth did you get such a notion, ” asked the 
preacher. 

“Please hand me Worcesters Academic 
Dictionary, from that table, Mr. Carter, and 
I will show Mr. Kent where I got an im- 
portant start on this little piece of informa- 
tion. I don’t want to wake the baby by 
getting up. ” 

* ‘I see you mean to carry me back into 
school books, ’ ’ said the preacher. 


276 


TWO OLD LETTERS. 


“Yes,” said she, “for any one can easily 
discover that you did not stay there long 
enough. ” 

“No one ever stayed there long enough to 
learn that ‘immersion’ is a definition of 
baptize” retorted the preacher sharply. 

“Have you ever examined the word closely 
in the dictionaries?” she asked. 

“Oh, no. I don’t think lever took the 
trouble to look up the meaning of that par- 
ticular word,” said Mr. Kent, “but it is 
universally understood to mean sprinkle. ” 

“Yes, but what you call a ‘universal un- 
derstanding’ came about from just such in- 
correct statements as you have been making 
this morning, and not from the meaning of 
the word as found in the dictionaries or the 
practice of the church as recorded in the 
historys, or the laws of Christ in the New 
Testament.” 

Captain Carter, desiring to cool down the 
discussion, asked that the definition be read, 
stating that he had never looked at the word 
in the smaller dictionaries. She read: 

“Baptize — [Greek baptizien, baptize, to 
dip,] (1) To immerse in water; (2) To ad- 
minister baptism.” 

“Is that all the definition?” asked the 
preacher in much confusion. 

“It is,” she replied, and certainly no 


TWO OLD LETTERS. 


277 


words can make it plainer, — ‘dip’, ‘immerse’. 
That and nothing else.” 

“Please go back a little and read the 
definition of ‘baptism,’ — the noun instead of 
of the verb — and I think that will have some 
sprinkling in it.” 

“Mr. Kent, if you expect to preach to 
these folks, you ought to know for yourself, 
what the word has in it. You should not 
depend on what you say is ‘universally un- 
derstood. Baptism— [Greek baptismos] A 
rite of the Christian church.” 

“Well, read on,” said Mr. Kent. 

“There is no more to read,” she replied, 
‘ ‘and it is plain to my mind, that when a 
person is to receive the rite of the Christian 
church called baptism, that person must be 
dipped or immersed in water. The Apostles 
did it that way. ” 

The preacher was surprised and confused, 
for he had met one who had studied the 
subject in history, in the New Testament 
and in the Greek and English language, 
while he, like thousands do, had accepted 
for truth something that was “universally 
understood.” 


NOTE— The writer knows a man who graduated 
young from a great institution of learning, and has 
been a pastor in a “city of schools” for more than a 
dozen years, who boasts that he never studied the subject of 
baptism ten minutes in his life. He is a Presbyterian, and 
one of my best friends. 


278 


TWO OLD LETTERS. 


‘ ‘I beg pardon, Captain Carter, for getting 
into a debate with your wife so unexpectedly. 
I came on a much higher mission than that. ” 
“Oh! go ahead. There is no higer mission 
than to hunt for truth. I have been much 
interested. I never knew ’til now, that 
Worcester — the highest authority — gave 

such a definition of the verb baptize — ‘To 
immerse in water.’ I am literally surprised! 
I knew the New Testament was full of ‘much 
water’ and ‘into the water’ and ‘out of the 
water,’ and ‘baptized in the river,’ but I 
thought the Methodist got over all 

these scriptures by the way the dictiona- 
ries explained the word. I am surprised at 
this definition — ‘ To immerse in water.' ” 

“But Bro. Carter as I said before, I have 
a higher mission than to dispute on baptism.” 

“I insist,” said Captain Carter, that it is 
not fair to call every little conversation, in 
which people seek for truth along different 
lines, a ‘dispute’. You preachers are always 
trying to discourage honest investigation 
and prevent comparison of doctrine by be- 
littling it into the idea of a ‘dispute. ’ Peo- 
ple ought to compare their views. We learn 
much in this way.” 

“Well, in any event, I am here to ask you 
and Mrs. Carter to let your membership re- 
main in our church, and work on just as you 
have been. You are satisfied now about 


TWO OLD LETTERS. 


279 


your baptism and we all rejoice with you. 
The Baptists only have service once a month, 
you know, and it will throw you out three 
Sundays every month, if you join them.’ , 

‘ ‘That will not throw me out, according to 
your own argument. You say one church is 
just as good as another. If that be true (I 
do not believe it) I have made no blunder in 
going to the Baptist. Further, if your ar- 
gument is true, I can do just as much in 
your church work the three Sundays I am 
thrown out as if I were to remain a member 
with you. The whole thing is like this, 
Bro. Kent: You do not really believe that 
one church is as good as another and you and 
your preachers only talk that way on con- 
venient occasions and never act that way at 
all. 

“Consistency forbids you to let us remain 
in your church, even if we were sufficiently 
unprincipled as to desire to do so. 

1. “We do not believe in the Episcopal 
form of government — or the one-man power. 
Your church believes this. 

2. “We do not believe in orders in [the 
ministery, by which one preacher has abso- 
lute authority over another. Your church 
does. 

3. “We do not believe in sprinkling a 
baby and then teach it that it has been 


280 


TWO OLD LETTERS. 


baptized, and this is the doctrine and practice 
of your church. 

4. “We do not believe the preachers have 
the right to get together and make a book 
of laws to govern the church. The Metho- 
dist church is governed in every official act 
by a book made by men, and changed by the 
preacher at will. 

5. “We do not believe in sprinkling an 
individual and calling it baptism. You 
Methodist preachers do this, and then as a 
sort of apology for what you have done, 
say: ‘Oh well it makes no difference if one 
is not baptized at all. ’ 

6. “We do not believe that a person born 
into God’s family will ever become a child of 
the Devil. He may get wicked like S amson 
or like the church member mentioned in I 
Corinthians, 5th chapter, 1-5 verses.” 

CHAPTER 5. 

1 It is reported commonly that there is 
fornication among you, and such forni- 
cation as is not so much as named 
among the Gentiles that one should 
have his father’s wife. 

2 And ye are puffed up, and have not 
rather mourned that he that hath 
done this deed might be taken away 
from among you. 

3 For I verily, as absent in body, but 
present in spirit, have judged already 
as though I were present concerning 


TWO OLD LETTERS. 


281 


him that hath so done this deed. 

4 In the name of our Lord Jesus 
Christ, when ye are gathered together 
and my spirit, with the power of our 
Lord Jesus Christ. 

5 To deliver such an one unto Satan 
for the destruction of -the flesh, that 
the spirit may he saved in the day of 
the Lord Jesus. 

The devil destroyed Samson’s body but 
his spirit will be “saved in the day of the 
Lord Jesus.” God chastises his erring 
children, Hebrews 12: 5-6-7-8, even to the 
“destruction of the flesh.” 

5 My son, despise not thou the chas- 
tening of the Lord, nor faint when 
thou art rebuked of him: 

6 For whom the Lord loveth he chas- 
teneth, and scourgeth every son whom 
he receiveth. 

7 If ye endure chastening, God deal- 
eth with you as with sons; for what 
son is he whom the father chasteneth 
not? 

8 But if ye be without chastisement 
whereof all are partakers, then are ye 
bastards, and not sons. 

“In short we believe nothing as you teach 
it, yet you want us to remain.” 

“Yes, but, Captain how about that 
‘close communion?’ ” asked Mr. Kent. 

“Well, to tell you the truth Bro. Kent, 
that has been a great objection. We did not 


282 


TWO OLD LETTERS. 


like it, but we preferred to swallow that one 
distasteful thing in the Baptist church rather 
than shut our eyes and gulp down an even 
half dozen, more distasteful doctrines, in the 
Methodist church. Besides when we came 
to understand the subject it was not at all 
like Methodist preachers had represented, 
and if it had been even worse than they 
represented, we made up our minds to ac- 
cept one bad practice in the Baptist church 
rather than six false doctrines in the Metho- 
dist— one against six is the way it stands.” 

“You must remember, Captain, that there 
is no scripture for the existence of a Sunday 
school and yet you believe strongly in that 
work. We Methodists do not pretend to 
have scripture for all our laws. They are 
enacted when human wisdom sees the neces- 
sity for them. They grow with the church. 
Sunday schools came in the same way.” 

“If I cannot find scripture for Sunday 
schools, I’ll never work in one again,” said 
Captain Carter. 

“I notice your wife has been meeting 
with the Aid Society of the Baptist church. 
There is no scripture for such a work, yet it 
is all right to do it. We believe in it.” 

“There is scripture for it,” chimed in 
Mrs. Carter, “or I never would have gone 
into it. Of late, I do not go into things 


TWO OLD LETTERS. 


283 


blindly. I shall see the scripture for a thing 
or not do it.” 

“I should like to see the scripture for 
organized womens work,” said Mr. Kent. 

“Very well I will accommodate you. 

Eighth chapter of Luke. ” 

1 And it came to pass afterward, that 
he went throughout every city and 
village preaching and shewing the glad 
tidings of the kingdom of God: and the 
twelve were with him. 

2 And certain women which had been 
healed of evil spirits and infirmities, 

Mary, called Magdalene, out of whom 
went seven devils. 

3 And Joanna, the wife of Chuza, 
Herod’s steward, and Susanna, and 
many others, which ministered unto 
him of their substance. 

Mr. Kent was much surprised at this 
scripture for he had never studied the 
Word to know what it contained. He had 
accepted what was “universally understood.” 

When they met again Captain Carter 
handed the following notes to Mr. Kent: 

1. “Jesus found synagogues, [religious 
school houses] all over the country when he 
came. 

Luke, 4: 16. 

16 And he came to Nazareth where he 
had been brought up; and, as his cus- 
tom was, he went into the synagogue on 


284 


TWO OLD LETTERS. 


the Sabbath day, and stood up for to 
read. 

These were religious school houses, John, 
6:59. Acts, 13: 5. And Jesus worked in 
Sabbath Schools conducted in these places. 

John, 18: 20. 

20 Jesus answered him: I spake open- 
ly to the world; I ever taught in the 
synagogue, and in the temple, whither 
the Jews always resort, and in secret 
have I said nothing. 

These were built to enable the Jews to 
carry out God’s instructions. 

Deut. 6: 7. 

7 And thou shalt teach them diligent- 
ly unto thy children, and shalt talk of 
them when thou sittest in thine house, 
and when thou walkest by the way, 
and when thou liest down, and when 
thou risest up. 

The children went every Sabbath to these 
places of religious instruction, and at twelve 
years old they were taken to the Great Feast 
at Jerusalem. 

Luke, 2: 41-42. 

41 Now his parents went to Jerusalem 
every year at the feast of the passover. 

12 And when he was twelve years 
old, they went up to Jerusalem, after 
the custom of the feast. 

The Apostles took advantage of these Sab- 
bath gatherings [Sunday schools] to preach. 

Acts, 18: 4. 


TWO OLD LETTERS. 


285 


UAnd he reasoned in the synagogue 
every Sabbath. 

These synagogue meetings every Sabbath 
were, in every essential element, Sunday 
schools; and they account for the wonderful 
knowledge of the Scripture possessed by all 
pious Jews. There had to be at least ten 
wise, pious Jews in every place where a 
synagogue was erected. These taught the 
Scriptures to young and old. They were 
teachers and occupied “chief seats in the 
synagogue.” Matt, 23: 6. 

2. The Sunday school teacher has a 
divine “call” to his work. 

Matt, 4: 23. 

23 And Jesus went about all Galilee 
teaching in their synagogues and 
preaching the gospel of the kingdom. 

The word “teach, ” in this verse, is a Greek 
word, describing the kind of instructions 
given to a class— didactic instructions. The 
word “preach” is a different Greek word, and 
conveys the ordinary idea of preaching a ser- 
mon, Jesus did both. The English word ‘teach’ 
is used to represent both these Greek words, 
sometimes one, sometimes the other, hence the 
confusion in regard to teaching and preach- 
ing. The commission, Matt, 28; 19, contains 
the word “teach” only, but the original has 
two words of different meaning — one refers 
to our common notion of preach; the other, 
or last, to didactic instructions — class teach- 
ing. Both kinds of instructions must be 
given in church work. 

The Sunday school teacher is “called” or 


286 


TWO OLD LETTERS. 


appointed of God, as one of the “gifts” to 
the church. 

Romans 12: 6-7*8. 

6 “Having then gifts differing accord- 
ing to the grace that is given to us, 
whether prophecy, let us prophesy, ac- 
cording to the proportion of laith; 

7 “Or ministry, let us wait on our 
ministering: or he that teacheth, on 
teaching: 

8 “Or he that exhortetb, on exhorta- 
tion; he that giveth, let him do it with 
simplicity; he that ruleth, with dili- 
gence; he that sheweth mercy with 
cheerfulness. 

He is “called ” or appointed to this place 
that he may aid in “perfecting ” the saints 
(not the church mark you) in “ knowledge ” 
Ephesians 4:11. 

11 And he gave some apostles; and 
some prophets; and some evangelists; 
and some pastor and teachers.” 

Paul seems to lay some stress upon the 
order in which the teacher’s appointment 
falls. In Roman, 12: 7 his office is third in 
point of order; and in I Corinthians 12:28 the 
apostle specifically mentions the order: 

28 God hath set some in the church, 
first apostles, secondarily prophets, 
thirdly teacfiers, etc. 

“Set in the church.” Study the relations 
of the Sunday school to the church. 

A practical, and not a critical, presenta- 
tion of this subject was designed. 

It will be observed that the New Testa- 


TWO OLD LETTERS. 


287 


ment contains chapter and verse for 
eveything the church is to believe and prac- 
tice. It is a sin, therefore, against God, and 
society to make and use, in church work, a 
book of laius and forms made by men. If such 
laws and forms, as we find in the various 
creeds, are in the scriptures we do not need 
the man-made book; if they are not in the 
New Testament, then, it is a sin to have such 
a book. 

If the New Testament had pleased am- 
bitious men, the Disciplines, Confessions of 
Faith, etc., never would have been made. It 
did not suit them, hence they made a book 
of laws according to their own notions by 
which their denominations are governed. 

Jesus organized and left His church in 
the world saying: 

Mat. 16: 18. 

* * *“The gates of hell shall not pre- 
vail against it.” 

He left the New Testament as its book of 
laws and discipline and Baptist are content 
to accept both — church and book — just as 
they came to us from the hand of jesus our 
lord. Amen. 


288 


TWO OLD LETTERS 


THE OTHER SIDE. 


The weaver, toiling at his loom 
By day, by night, 

Brings not the fairest colors 
Into sight: 

The threads he spins blend darkly, 

Nor token show 

Of how the gold and crimson 
,In beauty glow; 

But when the weaving’s ended, 

And work complete, 

The other side the pattern shows 
All fair and sweet. 

How like our life ! We journey on 
The weary way, 

No love to bless, no sun to make 
Our darkness day; 

The world is wide, the battle fierce, 

Nor can we tell 

Whether the victor’s song of joy 
Our hearts will swell: 

Simply by faith in Jesus’ cross 
We, clinging, hide, 

And know that perfect rest will find 
The other side. 

—Christian Work and Evangelist. 












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